


Flarestar's Faith

by Lightfyre



Series: Warriors: Dawn's Awakening [4]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-10-24 17:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 35,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10746720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightfyre/pseuds/Lightfyre
Summary: While Lichentail/star was away from ThunderClan, a lot happened. This follows Flarestar as she unexpectedly becomes the leader of ThunderClan and must face the challenges that arise by having faith in StarClan.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Allegiances
> 
>  
> 
> **ThunderClan**
> 
>  
> 
> Leader: Sapstar -brown tom mottled with gold  
> Deputy: Redwing dark red tabby tom  
> Medicine Cat: Deerpelt- wiry light brown she-cat  
> Apprentice, Rosefall- pinkish-orange she-cat
> 
> Warriors:
> 
> Flarepelt- white she-cat with ginger patches  
> Shadefire- black tom with a ginger chest marking  
> Lightstripe- light brown tabby tom  
> Sunstorm- mottled ginger tom  
> Apprentice, Sleetpaw  
> Swifthawk- large pale brown tabby tom  
> Apprentice, Burningpaw  
> Icefeather- gray and white she cat  
> Stonestorm- large, sturdy dark gray tom  
> Silverlily- pale gray she-cat  
> Batfang- very dark brown tom  
> Duskfeather- light ginger she-cat
> 
>  
> 
> Apprentices: 
> 
> Sleetpaw- white she-cat  
> Burningpaw- orangey-brown tabby tom
> 
>  
> 
> Queens:
> 
> Heatherbreeze- long haired light brown she-cat  
> Mother to Gorsekit (golden brown tabby she-kit) and Jumpkit (ginger tabby tom) 
> 
> Elders
> 
> Amberclaw- dark ginger tabby tom  
> Oakflower- long haired dark red she-cat 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **RiverClan**
> 
>  
> 
> Leader: Coldstar- large dark gray tom  
> Deputy: Splitgaze- black she-cat with one green eye and one blue eye  
> Medicine cat: Fernlight- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
> Apprentice, Pebblepaw- mottled gray she-cat
> 
> Warriors:
> 
> Graydusk- dark gray she-cat
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **WindClan**
> 
>  
> 
> Leader: Olivestar- golden brown tom  
> Deputy: Slickpelt- sleek light gray tom  
> Medicine cat: Smallberry- small dark brown tabby she-cat
> 
> Warriors: 
> 
> Foxflash- dark red tom  
> Badgerfang- huge black and white tom 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **ShadowClan**
> 
>  
> 
> Leader: Scorchstar- dark ginger tom  
> Deputy: Flamewing- ginger she-cat  
> Medicine Cat: Quietsnow- white she-cat
> 
> Warriors:  
> Nojaw- white tom with a missing jaw and multiple facial scars  
> Newtstripe- sandy brown tabby tom with thick black stripes

Flarepelt awoke to the sound of a dove chirping in the distance. It’s low, sad call added to the already somber mood in the ThunderClan camp. Although it was greenleaf, there was a breeze chilling the air. She pressed against the warm black fur of her mate, Shadefire, who began to stir.

“Hey, morning,” he said. All night Flarepelt had curled up with Shadefire in the middle of the camp, catching only a slight bit of sleep. The Clan had been sitting vigil for her best friend, Lichentail, who had been killed yesterday during a battle with WindClan. She had chased a WindClan warrior into one of the tunnels that connected WindClan’s territory with ThunderClan’s, and it had collapsed on top of her. There was no body to bring back to camp—they had dug deeply into the dirt in search of her, but she seemed to be buried too far down to recover. The worst part was that she had been expecting kits.

“How are you?” Shadefire murmured, licking Flarepelt’s head gingerly.

“Not good,” Flarepelt whispered. 

“Do you need me to ask the medicine cats for something to help you cope?” Shadefire asked.

“No.” Flarepelt pressed her face further into Shadefire’s flank. “I just need you right now.”

“Okay.” Shadefire wrapped his tail protectively around his mate. 

“Gather around, everyone.” That was Sapstar, addressing the Clan from the Highledge. His voice had a clear note of exhaustion in it. Flarepelt and Shadefire looked up at their leader, and walked closer to the Highledge. Flarepelt’s mother Oakflower came to join them, draping her thick russet colored tail over Flarepelt’s shoulders in sympathy. 

“Yesterday, we lost a valuable warrior,” said Sapstar. The ThunderClan leader usually spoke loudly with enthusiasm in his voice, but this time it was much softer and quieter. His amber eyes were glazed over, and for the first time Flarepelt began to notice his dark brown fur was graying. Sapstar seemed quite old as he continued, “Lichentail was far too young to die. She will never be forgotten. I have faith that StarClan will keep her and her kits’ spirits safe.” 

Suddenly, a yowl came from just beneath the Highledge. The father of Lichentail’s unborn kits, Swifthawk, was looking up at Sapstar and lashing his tail, his eyes narrowed into slits.

“When are we going to punish those WindClan fleabags for murdering my mate and kits!?” he snarled. 

“They did not murder her, Swifthawk,” said Sapstar gently. “It was an accident. Still, that’s the second warrior we have lost to battles with WindClan. It’s a shame that Lichentail had to go so soon after her former mentor, Foggyheart.” 

“We still have to punish them!” Swifthawk clawed at the ground, leaving deep scours in the earth. “They took my family away from me!”

“We will get our revenge,” Sapstar promised. “But we will not get it today. We have several wounded warriors who need to recover. Once they recover their strength, then it will be the time to attack. We will raid WindClan’s camp, and avenge Lichentail and Foggyheart!” Sapstar narrowed his eyes, which glinted in the growing sunlight.

Loud yowls rang across the clearing in agreement. Swifthawk threw back his head, yelling Lichentail’s name at the top of his lungs. Flarepelt sighed in sympathy for the young warrior. She and the rest of the Clan had really been looking forward to his and Lichentail’s kits arriving. Flarepelt looked around the cleaing, surveying the grieving Clan. Lichentail’s parents, Silverlily and Stonestorm, were looking down at the ground with empty stares. A white furred apprentice named Sleetpaw let out a gentle sob; her mentor, Flarepelt’s brother Sunstorm, pulled him close to him with his tail. Icefeather, who was Foggyheart’s sister, sadly touched foreheads with Sunstorm. 

“Now, let’s send out the patrols,” said Sapstar. “Lichentail would want us to carry on with our lives.” 

Swifthawk opened his mouth, as if to protest, but the deputy, Redwing—who was also Swifthawk’s father—came over and draped his tail comfortingly around his son’s shoulders.  
Sapstar began to round up warriors for the morning patrols. Flarepelt was too exhausted from grief and lack of sleep to join them. Shadefire led her to the warrior’s den, where he gave her a tender lick as she settled down in her nest. 

“I’ll ask Rosefall for a poppy seed to help you sleep,” he said. “I’ll come see you when I’m back from patrol.” 

Not long after he left, Rosefall, Flarepelt’s sister, poked her head into the den. She was the younger medicine cat of ThunderClan, having been trained under the much older medicine cat Deerpelt. Her fur had a soft pinkish-orange glow to it. 

“Hey,” she said gently, placing a poppy seed next to Flarepelt. “I hope this helps you rest.” 

“Thank you,” said Flarepelt to her sister, lapping up the seed. She gazed into her sister’s amber eyes. 

“Why did StarClan have to take Lichentail so soon?” she whispered. “Her kits didn’t even get to be born.” 

Rosefall looked sadly at her sister. “StarClan doesn’t decide who lives or dies,” she said. “They can only give us advice when terrible things happen. Lichentail will be watching over us.” 

Rosefall licked Flarepelt’s cheek as the latter drifted off into a deep sleep. 

 

The next few days didn’t feel real. Flarepelt was so used to going out on patrol with Lichentail, or sharing tongues with her during down time. A few times she swore she heard the pale gray cat’s voice, and looked over her shoulder for her friend. One day, as she was following the trail of a mouse, she came across a tall oak tree that she and Lichentail had climbed as apprentices. Lichentail had challenged her to a race to the top—Flarepelt had been certain she could beat her, but Lichentail was up on the highest branch in a flash, purring victoriously. 

Now, that oak tree seemed empty and shadowy. Flarepelt sat down and let out a loud wail, screaming to the sky.

“Oh, StarClan, why did you let her die!?” she sobbed. 

Shadefire came bursting out of the bushes.

“Flarepelt!” he cried. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”  
“I…I just…miss Lichentail so much…” Flarepelt stuttered. 

Shadefire pressed against her, covering her head in comforting licks. “It’s going to be okay,” he told her. “You still have me, and your family. And Lichentail is with Foggyheart again.”

Flarepelt imagined Lichentail walking alongside the kind, protective Foggyheart as he guided her through the starry mist that was rumored to surround StarClan. 

Flarepelt sighed heavily. “It just won’t be the same without her,” she muttered. 

“When my mother died of greencough, I was angry at StarClan as well,” said Shadefire. “Do you remember that? I had just become an apprentice, and I refused to go out on patrols. I just wanted to sit in the apprentice’s den and mope and curse StarClan for taking my mother away from me.”

Flarepelt nodded. “Yes, I remember,” she said. “Redwing had to practically drag you out of the den. But then, once he taught you a few battle moves, you became excited about becoming a warrior.”

“Yep,” said Shadefire. “I still miss my mother, but life went on. I know she is watching me from up above.” 

Flarepelt sighed. “I shouldn’t doubt StarClan,” she admitted. She got to her paws. “I’ll help you hunt, though I’ve probably scared off all the prey by now.”

“No you haven’t.” Shadefire pointed to the tail of a squirrel that was just visible above a shrub. He crouched down low and slunk over to the squirrel, gathered up strength in his hind legs, and pounced. Flarepelt heard a shriek, and then Shadefire came over with the squirrel clutched in his jaws.

“Nice,” said Flarepelt. She caught the scent of a mole, and tracked the critter until she spotted it under a gorse bush. It ventured out into the grass, twitching its little nose. Flarepelt sprang, and trapped it to the ground, ending its life with one quick bite. 

Flarepelt and Shadefire walked back to the camp with their fresh kill in their jaws. Swifthawk came up behind them, carrying a large crow. Flarepelt felt a flicker of admiration for the large tabby warrior—he had just lost his mate and unborn kits, and was probably in a lot more pain than Flarepelt, yet he was still going out and catching prey for the Clan. 

“Wow! Look what Swifthawk has caught!” Swifthawk’s younger brother Jumpkit squeaked as he bounced out of the nursery, his sister Gorsekit following. 

“When I’m a warrior, I’m going to catch even bigger birds, like falcons!” Gorsekit cried. 

Once all the fresh kill was brought in, Sapstar summoned everyone for a Clan meeting. 

“Tonight, after the sun has set, we will attack WindClan’s camp,” he announced. “We’ll sneak in when they’re least expecting, and show them they cannot beat us!” 

The cats of ThunderClan yowled enthusiastically. Swifthawk lashed his tail, his eyes burning with vengeance.

When the stars began to appear in the sky, Sapstar began gathering the warriors together. Oakflower, a dark furred warrior named Batfang, and Flarepelt’s father Amberclaw were told to stay behind and guard the camp, along with the apprentices. 

“No fair! I want to claw out some WindClan fur!” Swifthawk’s apprentice Burningpaw pouted. 

Swifthawk came over to him and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll be a warrior soon enough. I’ll see to that.”

“Be safe everyone,” said Sleetpaw nervously. 

“We will,” Sunstorm reassured her. 

“Good luck.” Amberclaw and Oakflower came up to see Flarepelt and Sunstorm off. 

“You two will do great, I know you will,” Amberclaw told his kits. 

“Be careful,” said Oakflower, touching her nose to Flarepelt’s. 

“We will. We are going to avenge Lichentail,” said Flarepelt, sliding out her claws. 

The ThunderClan warriors raced off, Sapstar and Redwing in the lead. As they approached the WindClan border, Flarepelt could still see dried stains of blood and tufts of fur where the last battle had taken place. Her stomach tightened as she looked in the direction of the tunnels. Somewhere over there, Lichentail was buried deep beneath the dirt, lying lifelessly in the cold earth. 

Flarepelt shook her head, and kept her gaze focused straight ahead. Nearby, Stonestorm and Silverlily walked together, their eyes hard as flint as they went to avenge their daughter. The forest gave away to flat moorland; a sea of tall grass stretched out ahead, illuminated silver in the nearly full moon. The ThunderClan cats were not used to walking in such tall grass, but it gave them good cover, in case any late WindClan patrols would be out. Thankfully, they did not hear or smell any sign of approaching WindClan warriors. Soon, they had reached the edge of the sandy hollow that served as the WindClan camp. Sapstar held his tail up high, signaling for his warriors to stop and wait. He peered down into the hollow for a few moments, and then yowled, “ThunderClan! Attack!”


	2. Chapter 2

The ThunderClan warriors poured into the camp, yowling battle cries. All around, WindClan cats emerged from their dens, looking quite confused. Stonestorm slammed into a light brown tabby tom, while Silverlily began slashing at a gray tabby she-cat. Son, the clearing was full of screeches, flashing claws, and sprays of blood. Flarepelt spotted Foxflash, one of the two cats who had killed Foggyheart. She charged at him, but he was too quick and dived out of the way. He suddenly kicked out with his hind legs, knocking her over. The dark red tom sank his claws into Flarepelt’s side, snarling into her face, but then Shadefire slammed into him. Getting to her paws, Flarepelt ran over to join her mate, who had Foxflash cornered against a boulder and was slashing at him. He met them blow for blow, his long, sharp claws leaving long, deep scratches on Shadefire's pelt. The black tom staggered and yelped as Foxflash created a deep gash on his shoulder. Suddenly, Sunstorm came running over and bowled Foxflash over. Icefeather was at his side, snarling, “You killed my brother! You’re _mine!_ ”

Sunstorm pinned Foxflash on his back, who snarled and clawed wildly at his opponent’s stomach with his hind claws, sending up a spray of blood and ginger fur. Sunstorm held on and endured it as Icefeather plunged her fangs deep into Foxflash’s throat, just as he had done to Foggyheart. Foxflash let out a scream that died into a gurgling choke. His legs convulsed for a moment, and then he lay still. 

Across the clearing, they heard a strangled caterwaul. Turning around, Flarepelt saw that Swifthawk had his forelimbs wrapped around the neck of a huge black and white tom named Badgerfang. Badgerfang had pinned Foggyheart down while Foxflash tore out his throat, and then, in the battle after that, Lichentail had chased him into the tunnels before they collapsed on her. Swifthawk had his teeth fastened in Badgerfang’s scruff, his golden eyes turned to burning slits as he avenged his mate. He bowled him over, and the two toms went rolling and screeching across the clearing. 

“This is for you, Lichentail!” Swifthawk howled as he came to a stop and pinned Badgerfang down on his back. As quick as lightning, he clamped his jaws down on the massive tom's throat. There was a sickening crack, and then a flash of blood, and Badgerfang went limp.

Flarepelt dived back into the swarm of angry cats. She ripped a gray tom’s ear in half, clawed a huge gash in a white she-cat’s side, and cuffed an apprentice hard over the head, sending him sprawling. Panting, she turned to see one of her Clan mates, Lightstripe, and Redwing grappling with the WindClan deputy, Slickpelt. He furiously snapped at Redwing’s throat, but missed. Redwing knocked him to the ground and pinned him down as Lightstripe clawed at him, until he wailed like a kit. Redwing and Lightstripe jumped to the side, letting the deputy up. He went streaking into a nearby den, his slick gray pelt stained crimson, where he was escorted inside by the WindClan medicine cat, Smallberry.

The chaos was dying down. Several cats were stumbling away from the battle, too wounded to continue. Flarepelt sat down and panted, just now feeling the sting from her wounds and blood oozing through her fur. A sudden ear-piercing screech made her turn around. Sapstar and Olivestar were writhing on the ground, teeth and claws in each other, yowling and snarling savagely in a blur of dark and golden brown fur. Sapstar kicked Olivestar off of him and sent him tumbling against the boulder in the camp. He hit his head hard, and collapsed to the ground. Sapstar limped over to him, glaring into the dazed WindClan leader’s eyes. 

“Don’t you ever dare come on our territory again,” Sapstar snarled, spitting out a mouthful of blood. 

Olivestar weakly growled, struggling to get to his paws. 

“ThunderClan, retreat!” Sapstar ordered. 

They fled over the edge of the hollow. A few WindClan warriors chased them, but were too weakened to keep up for long. The ThunderClan warriors yowled in victory as they raced across the moorland, back into the forest, and down into the ravine that held ThunderClan’s territory. 

“Did you win!?” Jumpkit cried, bouncing out of the nursery. 

“Yes, we did!” Swifthawk replied, holding his head triumphantly in the air. “I avenged Lichentail and killed Badgerfang!” 

“And I avenged Foggyheart and killed Foxflash!” Icefeather yowled. 

“After seeing the look on Olivestar’s face, I don’t think we’ll be having trouble with WindClan for a while,” Redwing snorted. 

“Did you see Slickpelt after Redwing and Lightstripe beat him up?” Sunstorm laughed, turning his head to Icefeather. “He ran to the medicine den like a kit running to his mother!” 

“I wish I could have seen that,” said Burningpaw. He unsheathed his claws. “When I’m a warrior, all the other Clans will come to fear me!” 

Swifthawk playfully poked his apprentice in the side, sending him toppling over. “You'll be the most fearsome warrior ever," he purred. 

“You all fought well,” Sapstar praised. “Now we shall rest and let our medicine cats tend to our wounds.”

Deerpelt and Rosefall hurried around the camp, smearing poultices into the warriors’ wounds and wrapping them with cobwebs. Flarepelt licked at a deep scratch on her shoulder as she waited for treatment. There were several other scratches along her head and back that Foxflash’s claws had left. Flarepelt lay down and groaned, feeling as though her pelt was on fire. Shadefire came over and lay next to her, pressing his head against hers.

“We did it,” he murmured. “We avenged Lichentail.” 

Flarepelt looked up to the brightly twinkling stars of Silverpelt, her heart soaring despite the pain she was in.

_Did you see us, Lichentail? We won!_


	3. Chapter 3

“You can’t catch me!” Flarepelt laughed as she ran through the forest. Shadefire chased her, zigzagging between the trees. 

“You’re not getting away!” he called playfully. Suddenly, he sprang in the air and landed on Flarepelt. The two of them went tumbling into a patch of marigold, and playfully wrestled. 

“I have defeated you!” Shadefire cried, grabbing her ear in his mouth. 

“No, _I’ve_ defeated _you!_ ” she laughed, grabbing the tip of his tail in her forepaws. 

The two of them leaned their foreheads together, purring. The hot greenleaf air was pleasantly cooled today from a rainstorm the night before. There had been peace for ThunderClan ever since the attack on WindClan nearly a moon ago. It seemed at last, they had put their enemies in their place. WindClan hadn’t even had the courage to show up at the last Gathering! 

Flarepelt closed her eyes, taking in the sweet scent of dew and the warmth of Shadefire’s black fur. Suddenly, she felt a strange twinge in her stomach and let out a gasp.

“Are you alright!?” Shadefire cried.

“Yeah…it’s just, my stomach hurts all of a sudden.” Flarepelt got up, shaking bits of marigold out of her coat. The pain had subsided just as soon as it had appeared. 

“Huh, that was weird,” she said. 

“Have you two caught much?” Suddenly, Lightstripe padded into the clearing with a vole clutched in his jaws.

“Er…” Shadefire and Flarepelt looked at each other sheepishly. Lightstripe narrowed his eyes.

“Have you two been playing instead of hunting?” he asked sternly. He sighed, shaking his head. “Flarepelt, you’re just as easily distracted as you were as an apprentice.” 

Flarepelt was about to reply to her former mentor when suddenly they heard a frightened cry from the near distance. Her fur prickled, and she exchanged an alarmed look with Shadefire. Lightstripe dropped his vole and went running in the direction of the sound, Flarepelt and Shadefire following. They skidded to a halt when they saw what was happening—a large dog was standing before Burningpaw and Swifthawk, snarling furiously. Swifthawk lay on the ground, bleeding from his side. Burningpaw was hissing ferociously, his fur fluffed up to twice its usual size. He sliced the dog across the nose, and then aimed another blow at its chin. Before Flarepelt and the others could intervene, Sunstorm and Sleetpaw came running into the clearing. Sunstorm threw himself at the dog’s neck, clinging on with claws and teeth. Sleetpaw bit the dog’s paw, and it howled in pain. Sunstorm kicked off the dog, and he and the apprentices slashed at it as it slowly backed away. Flarepelt, Shadefire, and Lightstripe came up behind them, hissing warningly at the dog to stay away. It whimpered, and then turned away, fleeing into the trees. 

“Alright! We fought it off!” Burningpaw bounced up and down victoriously. 

“Great job,” Swifthawk groaned, struggling to his feet. Lightstripe and Burningpaw ran over, supporting the big tom on both sides. 

“Let’s get you back to camp,” said Lightstripe. “Can someone fetch the vole I left back there?”

“Yeah, I’ll get it,” said Shadefire. 

When they returned to camp, everyone was in an uproar, congratulating the two apprentices on fighting off the dog. 

“The two of you have fought quite bravely!” Sapstar praised from atop the Highledge. “Perhaps the time has come to make you into warriors.”

Burningpaw and Sleetpaw gasped, looking towards their mentors, whose eyes gleamed with warm pride. Lightstripe, who was Burningpaw’s father, let out a joyful purr. 

“Burningpaw, Sleetpaw, come here!” Sapstar called to the two young cats, who scrambled up to the Highledge, trembling with excitement. Sapstar motioned for Burningpaw to step forward first. 

“I, Sapstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in return.” 

He looked into Burningpaw’s eyes. “Burningpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do,” Burningpaw replied.

“Then by the powers of StarClan,” said Sapstar. “I give you your warrior name. Burningpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Burningwind. StarClan honors your passion and bravery, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan.”

Sapstar rested his chin on top of Burningwind’s head, and Burningwind licked his leader’s shoulder respectfully.

“Burningwind! Burningwind!” the Clan cheered. Swifthawk yelled his apprentice’s name the loudest of all. Lightstripe intertwined his tail with his mate, Duskfeather, as both of them proudly gazed up at their son. 

“Now, Sleetpaw, your turn,” said Sapstar, summoning the white she-cat to him. “Sleetpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Sleetfall. StarClan honors your compassion and kindness, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan.” 

“Sleetfall! Sleetfall!” The Clan chanted. Sunstorm rose up on his haunches, waving his forepaws excitedly as he shouted his apprentice’s name. 

Flarepelt couldn’t help but get a little choked up as the two newly made warriors stood proudly from atop the Highledge. ThunderClan had suffered so much tragedy lately, and it was incredibly welcoming to see two new warriors joining them. 

Suddenly, she felt another jolt of pain in her stomach, and grunted. 

“Is your stomach hurting again?” Shadefire asked.

“Yeah, I guess I should go to the medicine den.” Flarepelt padded over to the cove in the rocky wall of the ravine, where Deerpelt was tending to Swifthawk’s wound. 

“What’s wrong, Flarepelt?” Rosefall came up from behind her, carrying a bundle of herbs. 

“My stomach’s hurting,” said Flarepelt. 

“When did it start hurting?” Rosefall asked.

“When I was out hunting earlier,” Flarepelt replied. “Then it went away, and it came back just now. It’s like it’s coming in short spasms.” 

“Have you been feeling tired or extra hungry lately?” Rosefall’s voice sounded a bit strange.

Flarepelt put her head to one side. “Now that I think about it…yes.” Shadefire had to shake her to wake her up for hunting duty that morning, and last night she had eaten two large mice. 

Rosefall’s eyes lit up. 

“What?” Flarepelt asked. 

“Flarepelt,” Rosefall whispered. “I think you’re expecting kits!”


	4. Chapter 4

Sure enough, Flarepelt was expecting kits. She couldn’t really believe it at first, but within the next few days, the spasms grew stronger and more frequent, and she began to feel oddly hungry all the time. 

“I’m so excited!” Shadefire rubbed his cheek against his mate’s. “We’re going to be parents!”

“They’re going to be beautiful kits,” purred Flarepelt. She lowered her voice, “But I am a little scared. I’ve always wanted to have kits with you, but it’s happening a lot sooner than I thought. What if we’re not ready?”

“I’m sure we’ll be ready,” said Shadefire calmly. “We have a while to prepare, and there are plenty of she-cats in this Clan who have had kits and can give you advice.” 

“Well, you and your siblings were certainly a handful.” Oakflower had heard their conversation and was coming over to them. “But Amberclaw and I managed to handle you just fine.” 

Flarepelt purred with amusement, remembering how she and Sunstorm used to wrestle in the nursery as kits. “I hope they’re not as lively as we were,” she laughed. 

“You’ll do fine,” said Oakflower, touching her nose to her daughter’s. “Parenting is a bit scary at first, but you learn as you go along.” 

Flarepelt felt a pang of sadness, remembering the kits that Lichentail was supposed to have. She would have been so excited to hear that Flarepelt was expecting. 

_Do you know about it?_ Flarepelt stared up to the sky, wordlessly talking to her friend. _Will you watch over my kits?_

From across the clearing, she suddenly caught a glimpse of Swifthawk looking at her. His eyes were strangely narrow and hard, which made her fur prickle. Then, he turned and left the clearing to hunt with Batfang and Burningwind. Was Swifthawk jealous of her and Shadefire? It would make sense, as his and Lichentail’s kits would never be born. The other day, he’d gone back to the WindClan tunnels, digging through the collapsed dirt and trying to find Lichentail’s body, but was still unable to find her. Flarepelt’s heart sank with pity for the grieving warrior. 

“These kits will surely be a blessing to our Clan,” said Shadefire, snapping Flarepelt out of her sad thoughts. “How many of them do you think there will be?”

Flarepelt let out a laugh. “How am I supposed to know?”

Shadefire shrugged. “I thought that maybe she-cats had this sixth sense or something when it comes to this stuff.”

“Well, how many kits do you want to have?” Flarepelt asked him.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” said Shadefire. “I guess no more than three. Four might be a handful.” 

Flarepelt shuddered. “That would be a terribly long birth,” she agreed. 

“What colors do you think they’ll be?” Shadefire asked. 

“I’m sure at least one of them will be black like you,” said Flarepelt. “The others might be patched like me, or tortoiseshell. I love tortoiseshell coats.”

Shadefire nodded. “No matter what our kits look like, they’ll look beautiful.” He swiped his tongue over his mate’s ear. 

 

As the weather grew cooler, and the leaves became tinged with orange and brown, Flarepelt began to feel increasingly heavier. Eventually she could no longer go on patrols, and began to build her nest in the nursery, although she slept in the warrior’s den with Shadefire, and planned to do so until her kits were born. Jumpkit and Gorsekit reached their sixth moon and became apprentices. Shadefire was given Jumppaw to mentor, and Batfang was given Gorsepaw. Shadefire was excited to have his first apprentice, and Flarepelt was happy for him, although this meant he spent a lot of time out of the camp, showing Jumppaw the territory. She spent most of her time enjoying her parents’ company by the elder’s den. 

The kits arrived one cold, windy day in leaf-fall. The sky was dark gray, and brown leaves twirled above the ravine in the breeze. Flarepelt was talking to Oakflower when all of a sudden she felt a jolt of agony in her abdomen and cried out.

“What’s wrong!?” Oakflower cried.

“I don’t know—ahh!” She screeched as another spasm wracked her body.

Oakflower stood up. “Deerpelt! Rosefall!” she called over to the medicine den.

“Are the kits coming?” Amberclaw asked.

“I…I think maybe…” Flarepelt’s stomach pulsated with pain once more. “Aaah! Okay…yes, they’re coming!” 

Rosefall came running over. “Gorsepaw sprained her paw while training, so Deerpelt’s busy looking at her,” she said. “She said she’ll be over in a bit—let’s get you into the nursery!”

Oakflower and Amberclaw flanked their daughter on both sides, helping her walk. Sunstorm ran out of the camp, yelling, “I’ll get Shadefire!” over his shoulder. 

Flarepelt was gingerly guided inside the nursery, and into her nest. Oakflower helped her get comfortable while Rosefall placed an ear on her sister's stomach.

“I think I hear three heartbeats,” she said. She nosed a few green leaves towards her sister. “Eat these. It’s chervil, it’ll help with the pain.” 

Flarepelt slowly chewed the green leaves, wincing at their bitter taste. She let out a wail as her entire body suddenly began to shake. 

“Make it stop!” she moaned. 

“You’re alright, dear,” said Oakflower softly, stroking her daughter’s flank with her feathery tail. “It hurts a lot, but it won’t last forever.”

“Aaah!” Flarepelt gasped, suddenly feeling a tugging sensation down by her tail. 

“I see a kit!” Rosefall cried. “Push, Flarepelt!” 

“I can’t, it hurts too much!” Flarepelt wailed. 

Oakflower went outside for a minute, then came back with a stick and shoved it between Flarepelt’s teeth. “Bite down on this,” she instructed. 

Flarepelt groaned as she sunk her teeth into the bark. Suddenly, an explosion of pain shot through her lower abdomen. 

“Shadefire!” she screamed as her bite snapped the stick in half. 

“You’ve done it, Flarepelt!” Rosefall cried. 

A loud, piercing mewl filled the nursery. Rosefall was bent over a tiny black kit, licking its slimy coat. Its mouth was wide open as it continued to cry out. 

“It’s a little she-cat!” Rosefall purred.

“She sounds excited to be born,” said Oakflower warmly. She picked her granddaughter up by the scruff of the neck and gingerly placed her beside Flarepelt’s stomach. Suddenly, all the pain melted away as Flarepelt was distracted by the sight of her newborn daughter. She was jet black from head to tail, just like her father. The kit looked up at Flarepelt with tightly shut eyes, and let out a shrill mew. 

“Yes, hello!” Flarepelt purred. She pulled her daughter close to her. “Oh, you’re so beautiful!” 

Suddenly, Shadefire came bursting into the den. “Flarepelt!” he cried. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Flarepelt with a weak smile. “Look, Shadefire, you have a daughter!”

Shadefire crawled forward and touched his nose to the tiny black kit. 

“Oh, she’s wonderful!” he whispered thickly. 

Suddenly, the pain all came rushing back to Flarepelt. She let out a scream as the contractions throbbed harder than ever, making her whole body tremble. 

“There are more kits on the way!” said Rosefall. “Come on, Flarepelt, push!”

“Oh, StarClan, make it stop!” Flarepelt screeched.

Shadefire lay down beside his mate and gently wrapped his forelegs around her neck, covering her head in soothing licks. 

“You can do it,” he murmured in Flarepelt’s ear. “I know you can.”

“Push!” Rosefall cried. “I see another one coming!”

Flarepelt yowled as she gave a great heave, and then, she felt another wet bundle shoot out of her. Rosefall bent over and nipped at the reddish-purple kitting sac, and another wailing kit came tumbling out. 

“Another she-cat!” Rosefall purred. She placed her next to her sister. Flarepelt gasped at the kit’s beautiful tortoiseshell pelt, patched with ginger and black. 

“Well, will you look at that,” purred Shadefire, giving Flarepelt’s ear a lick. “She looks just like a combination of you and me!”

“There’s one more kit,” said Rosefall. 

Flarepelt gave a faint moan. “I can’t do this again.” 

“Yes you can,” said Rosefall. “We’re all here.” 

Flarepelt gritted her teeth, her vision growing red as her body violently vibrated once more. She pressed close to Shadefire, screaming as the last kit slid out of her body. Then, the pain slowly died down, fading from a powerful throb to a dull ache. The blood stopped roaring in her ears, and she became aware of the third kit’s mewling. 

“This one’s a tom!” Rosefall purred. She picked up a white kit with black patches and tail, and placed him next to his sisters. 

“Well done, Flarepelt!” Oakflower purred.

“They’re pefect,” Shadefire whispered. 

Flarepelt licked her kits’ pelts as they greedily suckled from her. Gradually, their fur grew from wet and slimy to dry and fluffy. 

“Looks like I predicted their appearances correctly,” she purred to Shadefire. “We have a black one, a tortoiseshell, and a spotted one.” 

“How about that,” said Shadefire lovingly. “What should we name them?” 

Flarepelt looked down at the three kits. The black one stopped suckling for a minute and let out a little chirp. 

“What about Cricketkit for this one?” she asked Shadefire.

“That sounds like a lovely name,” he agreed. He pointed his tail towards the tortoiseshell she-cat. “What about Emberkit for this one?”

Flarepelt nodded. “Yes, her pelt looks like a flurry of embers against a night sky,” she said. She looked over to the tom, trying to think hard of a name. She could only think of one, and it sounded simple, but it somehow seemed to fit him.

“How about we name him Patchkit?” she suggested. 

“I like it,” said Shadefire. “It has a nice ring to it.” 

Flarepelt proudly surveyed her three kits. “Welcome to the world, Cricketkit, Emberkit, and Patchkit,” she purred softly.


	5. Chapter 5

“Look at me! I’m gonna get the flower!” 

Cricketkit leaped high in the air, batting at a small blue flower tucked into the brambles that made up the nursery’s ceiling. Flarepelt had put it up there to entertain the kits, who were now two moons old and full of energy, especially Cricketkit. 

“I got it!” With another leap, she grabbed the flower in her teeth, and came crashing down on Icefeather, who had been napping in a nest nearby.

“Oops, sorry!” Cricketkit cried, backing away from the startled queen.

“Why don’t you go outside to play?” Icefeather murmured grumpily. She had just moved into the nursery, and was expecting Sunstorm’s kits. 

“It’s too cold to go out and play!” Cricketkit shivered, fluffing up her black fur. 

She was right—the ground outside was covered in a thick frost. Leaf bare had just begun, and already the air was bitterly cold. Patchkit was nestled into the crook of Flarepelt’s body, curled up in a little black and white ball. Emberkit reached out and grabbed Cricketkit’s tail, making her sister squeal. The two she-cats ran around the nursery, chasing each other. Icefeather grunted and pressed her face into her nest. 

“Hey, kits, let’s be quiet,” said Flarepelt. “Icefeather is trying to take a nap.”

“But being quiet is boring!” Cricketkit protested. 

“If you’re quiet, I’ll tell you a story,” Flarepelt promised.

Cricketkit’s amber eyes gleamed. “A story!?” she cried. She and Emberkit came hopping over to hear it. Patchkit lifted his head, his little face full of curiosity. 

“This is about a cat named Firestar,” Flarepelt began. “He was the leader of ThunderClan long ago, before you were born—before I was even born! He got his name from his fiery ginger coat. But, he wasn’t born in ThunderClan. He started out as a kittypet.” 

Cricketkit tilted her head to one side. “What’s a kittypet?”

“A kittypet is a cat that lives with Twolegs,” Flarepelt explained. “They are tall, furless creatures that walk on two legs.”

“Like this!?” Cricketkit jumped up and hopped up and down on her hind legs.

“Sit down and listen, Cricketkit,” said Flarepelt, trying to hide the amusement from her voice. “Kittypets live with Twolegs in their big dens. They don’t have to hunt, because the Twolegs give them food, and they don’t fight, either. Their lives are much easier than ours.”

“Why would any cat want to live like that?” Emberkit asked. “It sounds boring.” 

“Well, I don’t know, I’ve never been a kittypet,” said Flarepelt. “But some cats seem to enjoy it. Anyways, back then, Firestar was just a young cat named Rusty. He was bored with his soft life, and he ventured into the woods one day, where he met some cats from ThunderClan who were out on patrol. Their leader, Bluestar, invited him to join the Clan.”

“Did he say yes!?” Cricketkit gasped. 

“Of course he did,” Flarepelt purred. “If he’d said no, there would be no story to tell. He went to join ThunderClan, and became an apprentice named Firepaw. Some of the cats teased Firepaw because he was born a kittypet. They didn’t think he could become a warrior. But he trained hard, and earned the warrior name Fireheart!”

“When do we get our warrior names, Mama?” Cricketkit asked. 

Flarepelt shushed her. “But then, the ThunderClan deputy Tigerclaw betrayed Bluestar. He wanted to be the leader, and didn’t want to wait until Bluestar had lost all her lives. Tigerclaw tried to kill Bluestar, but Fireheart saw it happen and stopped him! Then, Tigerclaw was banished from ThunderClan, and Fireheart became the new deputy.” 

“What happened to Tigerclaw after that?” Cricketkit asked. “Did he come back?” 

“Tigerclaw became the leader of ShadowClan, Tigerstar,” said Flarepelt. “He tried to get revenge on ThunderClan by leading a pack of dogs—big, scary creatures—into the camp. But Fireheart and the other warriors led the dogs over a cliff and down into a river. Sadly, Bluestar was knocked into the river while she was trying to help, and she lost her last life as she drowned. But then, Fireheart was granted nine lives by StarClan, and became the leader Firestar!” 

“Wow!” Cricketkit whispered in awe. 

“Then, Tigerstar tried to unite all four of the Clans into one called TigerClan,” Flarepelt. “He tried to force them to join him by bringing a group of scary cats into the forest called BloodClan, but they turned against Tigerstar. Their leader, Scourge, killed him and took all of his nine lives at once!”

The kits gasped loudly. Flarepelt left out the details, not wanting her little ones to hear about how Scourge had ripped Tigerstar’s stomach open with claws reinforced with dog teeth. 

“So then, all four of the Clans fought BloodClan,” said Flarepelt. “Firestar lost one of his lives fighting Scourge, but he came back. Scourge only had one life, and Firestar took it! The forest belonged to the Clans once more.” 

“Is that it?” Patchkit suddenly piped up, his amber eyes gleaming hopefully. 

“Oh no, there’s more,” Flarepelt purred. “Firestar and his mate Sandstorm had two daughters, Squirrelflight and Leafpool. Squirrelflight became a warrior, and Leafpool became a medicine cat. And do you know what?” She leaned close to the kits. “Squirrelflight fell in love with Tigerstar’s son, Brambleclaw!”

The kits gasped. 

“No way!” Cricketkit cried. “Did he love her back?”

“Yes,” said Flarepelt. “Brambleclaw was nothing like his bloodthirsty father. He was noble, honest, and loyal. When the forest began to be destroyed by Twolegs, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight went on a journey to find a new place for the Clans to live—which is where we live now! The Clans traveled through the mountains, and found the lake, which was filled with stars—a sign from StarClan that they had found their new home. Then, when Firestar lost his last life, Brambleclaw became Bramblestar. His and Squirrelflight’s daughter, Sparkstar, was leader when I was a kit.” 

“And then Sapstar became leader!” Cricketkit cried, jumping up and down. Then, she yawned. “Wow that was a great story! But I’m tired now.”

“Me too,” said Emberkit, resting against Flarepelt’s side. 

“Mama, do you think I could become the next leader?” said Cricketkit as she curled up next to her sister. “When I’m bigger?”

“Maybe,” said Flarepelt. “You will have to work hard, much harder than all the other warriors, but you could do it if you set your heart on it.” 

“I’m going to be the best warrior ever!” Cricketkit exclaimed.

Flarepelt gave her daughter a lick. “I know you will,” she purred.

“What about me?” said Emberkit.

“All three of you will become great warriors,” said Flarepelt. 

“Are battles scary?” Patchkit asked quietly.

“They can be,” Flarepelt admitted. “But when you become an apprentice, you’ll learn how to be brave.” 

“I hope I can be brave.” Patchkit shuddered. “I don’t want to fight scary cats, or dogs.” 

Flarepelt gently licked her son on the head. “You don’t have to become an apprentice until you’re ready.” 

The kits drifted off to sleep. Flarepelt was lulled by the sound of their steady breathing, and about to drift off to sleep, when Shadefire came into the den.

“Shh,” she whispered. “I finally got them to take a nap.”

“Sorry,” Shadefire whispered back. He placed a mouse next to Flarepelt. “I brought this for them. They can eat it when they wake up.”

“I’m sure they’ll love it,” Flarepelt purred. “How did training with Jumppaw go today?”

Shadefire frowned. “We came back early, because Jumppaw isn’t feeling so good. He’s been coughing, so he went to the medicine den.” 

“Coughing?” Flarepelt asked nervously. “Do you think it’s whitecough?” 

“I don’t know,” said Shadefire. “I just hope he gets well soon.” 

Flarepelt wrapped her tail protectively around her kits. 

“Please, StarClan, this leaf-bare is already harsh,” she murmured. “Have mercy on ThunderClan.” 

 

Later that day, while the kits were still sleeping, Flarepelt snuck out of the nursery for a bit to stretch her legs. She fluffed her ginger and white fur against a gust of icy wind. A few snowflakes were silently falling from the dark gray sky. Immediately, Flarepelt began to pick up a slight air of tension in the camp. 

“Is something wrong?” she walked over to where her parents were sharing a raven with Duskfeather, who had recently joined them in the elder’s den. 

“Jumppaw and Heatherbreeze are both coughing,” said Oakflower. “Deerpelt and Rosefall are warning everyone to stay away from the medicine den in case it’s whitecough. But it might not be that serious.” 

“How are the kits?” asked Duskfeather. 

“They’re fine,” said Flarepelt. “I snuck out to stretch my legs while they’re napping.” 

“Cricketkit is napping? That’s a first,” Amberclaw purred. 

“She’s definitely a handful,” Flarepelt admitted. 

“You were the same way as a kit,” said Oakflower with a smile. “I was always having to take you and Sunstorm outside because you would play fight noisily while the younger kits were trying to sleep.” 

Flarepelt laughed. “I bet you’re glad we’re adults now.”

“Somewhat,” said Oakflower. “Although a part of me misses how tiny and cute you and your siblings used to be.” 

“I wish Lichentail could see my kits,” said Flarepelt with a sigh, suddenly remembering her friend. “She would have loved them.”

“I’m sure she can see them from StarClan,” said Oakflower. 

Flarepelt took a sparrow from the fresh-kill pile and shared it with Shadefire. Prey had been scarce lately, and everyone was sharing. When they’d finished eating, they went back   
to the nursery to check on their kits. They found Cricketkit and Emberkit flinging the mouse Shadefire had brought them back and forth. 

“Hey!” said Flarepelt sternly. “That’s for eating, not playing with!” 

Patchkit had curled up with Icefeather for warmth while his sisters played. When he saw his mother, he ran up to her and purred, rubbing against her forelegs. 

“You’ve been awfully sleepy lately, Patchkit,” said Flarepelt. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine, Mama,” said Patchkit. Suddenly, he let out a small cough. The fur rose along Flarepelt’s spine, and she exchanged an alarmed look with Shadefire. 

“Are you getting sick, Patchkit?" Cricketkit mewed.

“No I’m not, I feel fine,” Patchkit insisted. 

“If you start to feel worse, tell me right away,” said Flarepelt. “We’ll get you some herbs from Rosefall.” 

Patchkit nodded. Cricketkit suddenly jumped on him.

“Well, since you’re not sick, let’s wrestle!” she cried. 

“Be gentle with your brother,” Flarepelt told Cricketkit and Emberkit as they wrestled Patchkit to the ground.

“C’mon, you’re a tom, you can fight back!” said Emberkit. 

Patchkit let out a frustrated grunt and kicked Emberkit in the stomach with his hind feet. She jumped away in surprise. Patchkit got to his paws, but was then knocked over by Cricketkit. The three kits wrestled until they grew tired, and then they curled up with Flarepelt in her nest as night fell. 

 

The next morning, Flarepelt was awakened by Patchkit coughing loudly. 

“Are you alright?” she asked her son with a frown. 

“Yeah, my throat just feels funny,” he said. 

“I’ll be right back,” she said, standing up. “I’m going to go ask Rosefall for something to give you.” 

Flarepelt was surprised to see a light snow had fallen during the night. She padded through the white powder towards Rosefall’s den, calling for her sister at the entrance. Rosefall stepped out, looking weary. 

“Is everything okay?” Flarepelt asked. 

“More cats are coughing,” said Rosefall. “Duskfeather and Stonestorm woke up feeling ill this morning, and Heatherbreeze and Jumppaw are getting worse.” 

Flarepelt frowned. “Patchkit woke up coughing this morning as well. He said his throat feels funny.” 

“I’ll be at the nursery in a minute,” said Rosefall. “I’ll bring some coltsfoot that Fernlight from RiverClan gave me at the last Gathering. She said it’s good for stopping coughs in kits. I’ll also bring some honey to soothe his throat.”

Flarepelt hurried back to the nursery. 

“Rosefall is going to bring over some herbs to make you feel better,” she told Patchkit. 

He nodded, letting out another cough. A few moments later, Rosefall came into the den with a bright yellow coltsfoot flower and a wad of moss dripping with honey. 

“Here, little one,” she said, lying the coltsfoot down by Patchkit. “Eat this, and then I’ll give you some honey for your sore throat.”

Patchkit took a bite of the coltsfoot and then spat it out. “It tastes yucky!” he complained. 

“I know,” said Rosefall patiently. “But you have to eat it, or you won’t get better.” 

Patchkit slowly ate the rest of the coltsfood, screwing up his face at the taste. Then, Rosefall held out the honey covered moss. Patchkit lapped up the golden liquid, purring at its sweet taste. 

“Let me know how he’s doing,” Rosefall told Flarepelt. “If he doesn’t improve, or gets worse, he’ll need to be moved to the medicine den.” 

Flarepelt blinked gratefully at her sister, and curled around Patchkit. He coughed, although to her relief it was a very quiet cough this time. 

“Do you feel any better?” she asked.

“My throat’s not so sore anymore,” said Patchkit. He yawned and snuggled into his mother’s fur. Cricketkit and Emberkit began to scurry around the nursery, batting at each other with their paws. Emberkit suddenly knocked Cricketkit into Flarepelt’s nest. She crashed into Patchkit, who woke up with a startled squeak. 

“Icefeather?” Flarepelt turned to the other queen. “Do you mind taking these two out to play for a bit while Patchkit rests? They haven’t seen snow before.”

“Snow!?” Cricketkit’s eyes sparkled with excitement. 

Icefeather got up from her nest, hurrying after the kits, who were already running towards the nursery entrance. Flarepelt laid her head down on the edge of her nest, drifting off into light doze. She was later awakened by Cricketkit and Emberkit bouncing back into the nursery, covered from head to tail in tiny snowflakes. 

“Snow is so cold!” Cricketkit squeaked. “But it’s so fun to play in!” 

“Cricketkit and I dug a tunnel in the snow,” Emberkit told Flarepelt. 

“I’m glad you had fun,” Flarepelt purred.

“How’s Patchkit?” Cricketkit peered into the nest at her brother, who was still sleeping. 

“Well, he’s stopped coughing for now,” said Flarepelt. “But it’ll still be a while before he can play with you and Emberkit again.”

Icefeather suddenly leaned down and murmured in Flarepelt’s ear, “I don’t mean to alarm you, but Oakflower has started coughing. I just saw her go into the medicine den.” 

The fur rose up along Flarepelt’s spine as she felt a sudden jolt of fear. She forced herself to relax. So far it didn’t look like any of the infected cats were about to die and the medicine cats had plenty of herbs. Still, Oakflower was an elder, and that worried Flarepelt. She looked up at Patchkit, who suddenly coughed in his sleep. 

“Oh please, StarClan,” Flarepelt whispered under her breath. “Let Patchkit and Oakflower be okay.”


	6. Chapter 6

Two sunrises later, Flarepelt lay beside Patchkit, who was tucked into a bed of moss in the medicine den. His coughing had grown worse. Several other cats lay sick in the nursery, all having been diagnosed with whitecough. Amberclaw had started coughing very shortly after Oakflower had. Heatherbreeze and Jumppaw were the sickest, having developed greencough. Their loud wheezing could be heard from all over the den. 

“Don’t you have any more coltsfoot?” Flarepelt asked as Rosefall walked by. 

Rosefall shook her head. “No, I don’t,” she said. “I was about to give Patchkit last of the chickweed I have.”

“The last of it!?” Flarepelt cried. “You mean you’re running low on herbs?”

“I’m afraid so,” Rosefall said quietly. “The first frost was early this year, and it killed many of the herbs we needed. I wish we had catmint—it’s excellent for curing greencough.” 

“What are we going to do!?” Flarepelt shrieked. “Don’t tell me all these cats are going to die!” 

“Shh,” Rosefall whispered. “Don’t say that out loud! Anyways, I think I’m going to go over to RiverClan in a bit and see if Fernlight has any spare herbs we can use.” 

“I found a slight bit of hawkweed in the back.” Deerpelt emerged from the rear of the den, clutching some spiky leaves dotted with yellow and orange flowers. “It’s not much, but it helps coughs….”

Flarepelt noticed that Deerpelt’s front paws were trembling. Suddenly, the older medicine cat fell over.

“Deerpelt!” Rosefall gasped, crouching over her mentor. “What’s wrong?” 

“I…I haven’t been feeling good since yesterday,” Deerpelt admitted. She let out a raspy cough.

“Oh, no, Deerpelt!” Rosefall cried. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to worry,” Deerpelt groaned. “Besides, my Clan mates are more important than me.”

“No they’re not! You’re our medicine cat!” Rosefall turned to Flarepelt. “Oh, we have to send someone over to RiverClan to fetch Fernlight! I can’t leave Deerpelt.” 

Suddenly, Flarepelt got an idea. 

“Lightstripe is the fastest cat in ThunderClan,” said Flarepelt. “He could get over to RiverClan in no time!” 

Flarepelt headed out of the nursery, where suddenly, she saw Lightstripe anxiously waiting by the den with Burningwind and Shadefire. 

“Is Duskfeather okay?” he cried, his amber eyes wide with concern for his mate. 

“Deerpelt has gotten sick,” said Flarepelt quickly. “Lightstripe, we need you to run over to RiverClan and get Fernlight. We need her help.”

Lightstripe’s jaw dropped. “Wh—what!?” he cried. “Deerpelt is sick?’ 

“Please, Lightstripe, there’s no time for questions,” said Flarepelt. “Rosefall is running low on herbs. You're the fastest cat in the Clan, and we need Fernlight to come over as soon as possible.” 

Lightstripe nodded. He took off towards the camp entrance, becoming a light brown blur as he ran.

Flarepelt sighed and touched her forehead to Shadefire’s. “Patchkit isn’t improving,” she murmured. “And Jumppaw is pretty bad.” 

Shadefire closed his eyes. “Oh no,” he whispered. 

Redwing and Swifthawk came over, also looking very worried. 

“Where has Lightstripe gone?” Redwing asked. 

“He’s gone to RiverClan to fetch Fernlight,” said Flarepelt. “Deerpelt is sick, and Heatherbreeze and Jumppaw have greencough.” 

Redwing shoved everyone to the side, hurrying into the den to see his mate and son. Swifthawk turned to glare at Flarepelt.

“Why didn’t you send me to get Fernlight?” he snapped. “I’m the fastest cat in this clan. I’m named _Swift_ hawk for a reason.”

“No, Lightstripe is the fastest,” said Flarepelt impatiently. “Trust me, I was his apprentice. I’m sorry I didn’t send you, but Lightstripe has a loved one in that den too, you know.” 

Swifthawk curled his lip, as if about to make a retort, but suddenly, Rosefall appeared, shooing Redwing out of the den. 

“I need everyone to stay out!” she cried. “This infection is spreading like wildfire, and we don’t need any more cats getting sick!” 

“Please, I want to see my mother!” Burningwind protested. 

“And I want to see my mother and brother,” Swifthawk growled. 

“I promise I will update all of you as soon as anything changes!” Rosefall told them. “But please, I need you to keep your distance. Fernlight will be here soon to help me.” 

The loved ones of the sick cats sat near the den, exchanging worried looks. Silverlily and Sunstorm came over to join them. Flarepelt and Shadefire pressed their muzzles together, trying to remain strong. 

“Patchkit has to make it,” Flarepelt whispered. “I can’t lose him, especially not right after losing Lichentail.”

“I don’t want to lose him either,” Shadefire said, fighting to keep his voice calm. “Or Jumppaw. But we have to remain strong for them. Fernlight is on her way.” 

It seemed like an eternity before Lightstripe returned. He raced into the camp, crying out, “Fernlight is here, and she’s brought Pebblepaw with her!” 

Flarepelt felt relief flood through her as she saw the RiverClan medicine cat and her apprentice hurrying into the camp, each carrying large leaf wraps containing herbs. Everyone gave them space as they hurried over to the medicine den. 

“You should go get some rest,” Shadefire murmured, nudging Flarepelt towards the nursery. She sighed. He was right—she’d barely gotten any sleep the previous two nights, and Cricketkit and Emberkit were probably missing her. She hoped they hadn’t driven Icefeather insane with their antics.

The moment Flarepelt poked her head into the nursery her daughters came running towards her. 

“Mama!” Cricketkit cried. “How’s Patchkit?” 

“He’s very sick,” said Flarepelt. “But the RiverClan medicine cat, Fernlight, and her apprentice are here to help.” 

“Can’t we go see Patchkit?” Cricketkit waved her long tail impatiently. 

Flarepelt shook her head. “If you get near the sick cats, you might get sick too,” she said. 

Cricketkit’s tail drooped. “But we want to make sure Patchkit is okay.”

“Rosefall is with him,” said Flarepelt. “We must have faith in her.” 

She curled up in her nest, pulling her daughters close. She distracted them, and herself, by telling them some stories. In the back of her mind, she kept thinking of Patchkit, and her parents. Flarepelt didn’t know how she could cope if she lost all three of them. Shadefire came into the nursery periodically to give her updates. At sunset, he gave the grim news that all the sick cats had greencough.

“The good news is that Rosefall now has plenty of chickweed, thanks to Fernlight. Although it isn’t as effective as catmint,” Shadefire said with a sigh. 

“How is Patchkit?” Flarepelt asked anxiously. “And my parents?” 

“No better, but no worse,” said Shadefire. He curled up next to his mate, running his tail along her spine. The two of them fell into a light doze, and were suddenly awoken by a loud, agonizing cry. Fear clutched at Flarepelt’s heart like a pair of icy claws. Shadefire went running out, and a few moments later, came back in, his eyes heavy with sadness. 

“Heatherbreeze and Jumppaw are dead,” he said quietly. 

“Oh no,” Flarepelt whispered. From outside, she heard an enraged yowl from Swifthawk. “Curse you, StarClan!” 

“You don’t think StarClan has abandoned us, do you?” Flarepelt looked up at her mate fearfully.

“They would never abandon us,” said Shadefire firmly. “They will watch over Heatherbreeze and Jumppaw as they join them among the stars.” He sighed heavily. “I’m going to miss Jumppaw. He was so full of ambition, and now he’ll never be a warrior.” 

He curled back up with Flarepelt, wrapping his tail around her flank as they fell asleep with their daughters. 

_StarClan, please, don’t let my son and my parents die,_ Flarepelt prayed as she closed her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

Both Flarepelt and Shadefire tossed and turned all night. They awoke early in the morning, and went to go check on Patchkit, while Icefeather curled around Cricketkit and Emberkit to keep them warm. Rosefall came out of her den, and met Flarepelt and Shadefire halfway across the clearing. She looked utterly exhausted, and her eyes were heavy with sadness.

“How’s Patchkit?” Flarepelt asked, her voice trembling with nervousness.

“He’s still here,” said Rosefall. “He woke up for a bit just now, and drank some water. He asked where you were. I told him you’d come visit him when he feels a bit better.” 

Flarepelt nearly collapsed to the ground with relief. “Oh, thank StarClan!” she sighed. 

“But, during the night, we lost Stonestorm and Duskfeather,” Rosefall murmured. “Burningwind and Sleetfall started coughing, but they’re responding well to the herbs Fernlight gave them. Pebblepaw’s been a great help, too.” 

“What about our parents, and Deerpelt?” Flarepelt pressed.

“They’re still the same,” Rosefall sighed. “I promise I’ll update you when I can.” 

Flarepelt and Shadefire hurried back to the nursery. 

“Guess what!?” Flarepelt cried. Cricketkit and Emberkit jolted awake. 

“What, Mama?” said Cricketkit.

“Patchkit is getting better!” Flarepelt exclaimed.

“Yay!” Cricketkit leaped out of Icefeather’s nest. “Can we go see him?”

“Not yet,” said Flarepelt. “But soon, maybe.” 

Flarepelt and Shadefire sat in the nursery with their daughters, telling them more stories and letting them chase their tails to distract them. Around midday, Sunstorm came into the nursery, his amber eyes somber.

“Flarepelt,” he said quietly. “Rosefall wants us both in her den. Mother and Father aren’t doing so well.”

Flarepelt went streaking out of the nursery, feeling as though the ground was giving out beneath her as she ran across the clearing towards the medicine den. 

_No, no, this can’t be happening…_

She crept into the medicine den, where Rosefall was sitting next to Oakflower and Amberclaw. Both cats were laying very still, their eyes closed and flanks heaving weakly, as if they no longer had the energy to cough. 

“Is there nothing you can do for them?” Flarepelt whispered to her sister.

Rosefall shook her head. “No.” She looked up at Flarepelt with a terror filled gaze. “Oh Flarepelt…I’m not ready to lose them!”

“I’m not either,” Flarepelt whispered. The two sisters pressed into each other, joined shortly by their brother. 

“It’s okay,” he told his sisters quietly. “We’re all here, and we will say goodbye together.” 

The three siblings crouched down by their parents. Flarepelt ran her tail along her mother’s thick reddish brown pelt, and her father’s ginger tabby pelt. 

“We’re going to miss you so much,” she said thickly. “I wish you were well enough to say goodbye, but…I know you’ll be watching over us in StarClan.”

“I love you both.” Rosefall leaned down and gave both her parents a lick on the head. “Thank you for teaching us so many things.”

A faint moan came from Oakflower. 

“It’s okay, Mother,” said Sunstorm quietly. “You can go. StarClan is waiting for you. And when it’s our time, we will join you and Father.”

Oakflower’s body gave a shudder, and then her flank stopped moving. Not long after, Amberclaw stopped breathing as well. 

Rosefall let out a wail, and buried her face in her mother’s pelt. Flarepelt and Sunstorm pressed against either side of their sister, sharing their grief among the three of them. They sat there in silence for a very long time. 

“Oh no!” Fernlight came padding into the den, her green eyes wide with horror. “Oh no, Rosefall, I’m so sorry we couldn’t save them…”

“It’s not your fault,” said Rosefall. She cleared her throat, forcing the shakiness out of her voice. “Could you help us carry them out of the den? We’ll put them with the other cats that have passed, until…until it’s time to bury them.”

Fernlight nodded. She helped Rosefall carry Oakflower’s body, while Flarepelt and Sunstorm took Amberclaw. Flarepelt suddenly felt very old as she carried her father through the camp. They lay their parents down with the other deceased cats just outside the gorse tunnel. Silverlily was lying there silently, curled up around Stonestorm’s body, and Lightstripe and Burningwind were gently grooming Duskfeather’s body, their eyes heavy and dark. Flarepelt wanted to stay with her parents' bodies, but her mind suddenly switched to Patchkit. He still needed her. She went running back to the medicine den, where she found the little black and white tom still curled up in his bed of moss. Deerpelt lay nearby, wheezing and coughing fitfully.

“Patchkit?” Flarepelt whispered.

Patchkit stirred, and then weakly raised his head. 

“Mama,” he squeaked. 

“Oh, Patchkit.” Flarepelt tenderly licked Patchkit’s damp, ruffled fur. “Thank goodness you’re feeling better.”

“I still feel bad,” Patchkit croaked. “But not as bad as before.” 

“Your sisters have been worried about you,” said Flarepelt. “They’ll be happy when you return to the nursery.”

“What about the other sick cats?” Patchkit asked. “Are Oakflower and Amberclaw okay?” 

Flarepelt felt her heart crack in two. 

“They…went outside to get some fresh air,” she lied, not quite ready to tell the sick kit the heavy news about his grandparents. 

“Oh, okay.” Patchkit yawned. “I’m glad you came to see me, Mama.”

Flarepelt licked her little one as he fell back asleep. “Thank you, StarClan, for not taking him, too,” she whispered.

 

Early the next morning, the Clan was aroused by a call from Sapstar. He summoned everyone to gather around the Highledge, his voice solemn and head hung in grief. 

“Deerpelt has just died,” he said. “She was a great medicine cat who served ThunderClan for many seasons. She will be greatly missed.”

Shocked, sad gasps rippled through the crowd. Flarepelt spotted Rosefall sitting beneath the Highledge, her eyes dull and glazed over. 

“I trust Rosefall to take on the role of our sole medicine cat,” said Sapstar, looking down at the pinkish-orange she-cat. "You are very skilled, and I’m sure will do you fine.”

“Rosefall! Rosefall!” The crowd chanted. Flarepelt and Sunstorm called her name the loudest. Her eyes brightened slightly as all of ThunderClan praised her. 

“And thank you to Fernlight and Pebblepaw, who have been a great help in this dark time,” said Sapstar, nodding to the RiverClan medicine cats who were sitting near Rosefall. 

“It’s been an honor,” said Fernlight, dipping her head. “I’m sorry we could not do more.”

“We are still very grateful for you,” said Sapstar. “More cats would have died if you had not come.” 

“Thank you, Sapstar,” said Fernlight. “I’m glad we could at least help some.” She stood up and touched noses with her fellow medicine cat.

“I would stay longer,” she said gently. “But we need to get back to RiverClan.” 

“Thank you,” said Rosefall quietly, brushing her tail along Fernlight’s flank.

Fernlight and Pebblepaw gave ThunderClan one last friendly nod before heading out through the gorse tunnel. 

“Rosefall has told me that Patchkit is recovering well,” Sapstar told the Clan. “However, we have lost many cats. Today, we will bury and say goodbye to Deerpelt, as well as Oakflower, Amberclaw, Stonestorm, Duskfeather, Heatherbreeze, and Jumppaw.”

Murmurs and yowls of grief echoed through the ravine. Redwing sat close to Swifthawk and Gorsepaw, staring silently down at his paws. Silverlily and Lightstripe, who had both lost their mates, gently pressed their heads together. 

The Clan went out of the camp and began to bury the deceased cats. Flarepelt, Rosefall, and Sunstorm brushed their parents’ pelts with lavender and rosemary, hiding the smell of sickness. Shadefire helped the senior warriors dig graves. By Sunhigh, all seven of the deceased cats were lying beneath thick mounds of dirt, all marked with a tuft of their fur in their memory. Several cats stayed around to sit by the graves for a while, but Flarepelt, Shadefire, and Rosefall stood up and went back to the medicine den to check on Patchkit. They found the tiny black and white tom waiting for them by the entrance. 

“Patchkit!” Flarepelt licked her son so hard he nearly fell over. “You look so much better!”

“I’m not coughing anymore,” said Patchkit. 

“Well then, seems you’re no longer contagious!” Rosefall purred. “You can go back to the nursery today, although I’ll come by to check on you later.”

“Yay!” Patchkit squeaked. He bounded alongside his parents as they led him back to the nursery. Flarepelt’s heart burst with happiness as he jumped through the entrance and   
cried out, “Cricketkit! Emberkit! I’m back!” 

Cricketkit and Emberkit shot out of their nest and ran to Patchkit, nearly bowling their brother over.

“Careful!” Shadefire warned them. “He’s still recovering.” 

“I knew you’d get better!” Cricketkit squealed. 

Flarepelt let out a relieved sigh, leaning against Shadefire. Despite everything that had happened the past few sunrises, she felt deeply blessed as she watched her kits play.

“See? StarClan is still looking out for us,” Shadefire murmured in her ear.


	8. Chapter 8

“You can’t catch me!” Cricketkit purred, running through the grass. 

“Oh yes I can!” Emberkit kept up just behind her sister, swatting at her tail. She leaped, jumped on Cricketkit, and the two of them tumbled into a patch of clover, giggling and squealing. 

Flarepelt, who was watching them from the shade of a boulder, sighed contently. Newleaf was finally here, bringing sweet smells, warm air, and bright flowers. Her kits had grown much bigger, and would soon be apprentices. Next to Flarepelt lay Patchkit, whose tail twitched in amusement as he watched his sisters play. Nearby, Icefeather was watching her and Sunstorm’s kits, Morningkit and Dewkit. They had been born three moons after Flarepelt’s kits, and were much smaller. Morningkit was a lovely gray and pale ginger tortoiseshell, while Dewkit was gray and white like her mother. The two little she-cats wandered curiously through the grass, sniffing at the flowers and shaking drops of dew off their tiny paws. 

“C’mon, Patchkit, join us!” Cricketkit cried. 

“I’m comfortable here in the shade,” said Patchkit.

“Don’t be a wimp!” Emberkit snorted. “We’re all going to be apprentices soon, and we have to practice for it.” 

“Can we practice too?” Morningkit came bouncing over. 

“Um…sure,” said Emberkit. 

“Okay, pretend like I’m a ShadowClan warrior!” Cricketkit fluffed up her fur and growled. “I’m trespassing on ThunderClan’s territory! What do you do?” 

“First, give a warning growl,” said Emberkit. She crouched down and fiercely snarled at her sister. “If that doesn’t scare them off, then you start fighting. But keep your claws sheathed, since this is only training.”

Emberkit cuffed Cricketkit over the head and sent her sprawling into the grass. The two sisters struggled and scuffled as Morningkit and Dewkit watched with wide eyes. 

“Patchkit, a little help over here!” Cricketkit cried as she kicked at Emberkit’s stomach. 

Patchkit came over, trying to push Emberkit off of Cricketkit. 

“Patchkit, you gotta be fiercer than that,” said Emberkit. 

“But I don’t want to hurt you,” said Patchkit. 

Emberkit snorted. “You won’t, you’re too weak.”

Patchkit gave an irritated growl and head butted Emberkit, which made her jump away from Cricketkit. The two she-cats reared up on their hind legs and battered at each other with sheathed claws. 

“Don’t hurt each other!” Dewkit cried.

“Don’t worry, we’re not!” said Cricketkit. “But if this were a real battle, Emberkit would be in trouble!”

“No, you would be in trouble!” Emberkit leaped at her sister and tackled her to the ground. 

Flarepelt waved her tail, summoning Patchkit to come back over to her.  
“Patchkit,” she said gently. “Do you not feel ready to become an apprentice?”

Patchkit shook his head. “No, I want to be one,” he said. “It’s just…I’m not brave like Emberkit and Cricketkit are. They’re excited about getting to fight, but I think it sounds scary.” 

“I see,” said Flarepelt. “Well, would you want to become a medicine cat apprentice?”

“No,” said Patchkit, shaking his head. “I don’t like the smell of medicine—it reminds me of when I got really sick when I was little.” His shoulders sagged. “But I don’t think I’ll make a good warrior.” 

Flarepelt ran her tail along Patchkit’s back. “Don’t say that,” she said. “You will do fine. It’ll just take some time for you to find your courage.” 

“I hope so,” said Patchkit, looking up at his mother with worried amber eyes.

Suddenly, Sunstorm came over to his daughters, back from patrol. He clutched a huge crow in his mouth. 

“What is that?” Dewkit squeaked, her gray and white fur fluffing up in fear.

“Don’t worry, it’s dead, it can’t hurt you,” said Sunstorm, laying down his catch. 

“It’s huge!” Morningkit cried, venturing over to poke at the dead bird with a paw. “Did you catch it, Father?” 

“Yes I did,” Sunstorm purred. “I’ve brought it back for you and your mother to eat.” 

Flarepelt felt a pang of sadness as she remembered when Amberclaw used to bring fresh-kill to the nursery when she and her siblings were kits. Sunstorm’s ginger pelt and strong muscles reminded her so much of their father. Suddenly, she had an idea, and stood up.

“Where are you going, Mother?” Patchkit asked. 

“I’ll be right back,” she said. She walked over to the stones beneath the Highledge, and used them to scramble up to the smooth surface. Peering into the leader’s den, she said, 

“Sapstar, can I talk to you?”

“Yes, come in,” said Sapstar’s voice from inside.

Flarepelt ducked her head and crept into the cool, dark den. Sapstar was curled up on a bed of moss, his amber eyes glowing in the dark. “What is it, Flarepelt?” he asked.

She sat down, curling her tail around her paws. “It’s about Patchkit,” she said. “He and his sisters are nearly six moons old. Cricketkit and Emberkit can’t wait to become apprentices, but Patchkit seems…a little intimidated by the dangers out there.” 

Sapstar nodded. 

“So…I was thinking…he needs a brave mentor to teach him about courage,” said Flarepelt. “I was thinking maybe my brother Sunstorm could train him, if that’s alright with you?”

“That sounds like a great idea,” said Sapstar. “He really brought out the bravery in Sleetfall—she was quite shy as a kit. I will assign Sunstorm as Patchkit’s mentor when it’s time.”

“Thank you!” Flarepelt exclaimed. She turned and hurried out of the den, jumping down the rocks to the ground. She looked around for Shadefire, wanting to tell him the news. 

Suddenly, she spotted Gorsepaw talking to Morningkit and Dewkit nearby. 

“These are really tasty berries,” said Gorsepaw. She rolled three small brown objects towards the kits, who sniffed them curiously. 

“Gorsepaw!” The golden brown apprentice jumped, startled by Flarepelt’s sharp voice. Flarepelt shooed the kits away from the “berries.” 

“Don’t eat those!” she snapped. “Those are rabbit droppings!”

“Eew!” Dewkit shrieked. 

“Oh come on, it was just a joke,” said Gorsepaw, rolling her eyes as Flarepelt glared at her. 

“What’s going on?” Swifthawk came over, his hackles raised. “Flarepelt, why are you yelling at my sister?” 

“She tried to trick Morningkit and Dewkit into eating rabbit droppings,” said Flarepelt. 

Swifthawk let out a laugh. “Oh, the old apprentice prank. I did that to Shadefire and Lichentail when they were kits. They knew it was just a joke, they laughed.” 

“Well these kits didn’t know better!” Flarepelt hissed. “Eating rabbit droppings could make them sick!” 

Morningkit and Dewkit edged away from the arguing warriors, scurrying back over towards Icefeather. 

“You’re not the leader, you know.” Swifthawk narrowed his eyes at Flarepelt. “You have no business yelling at my sister.” 

“She’s an apprentice, and I’m a warrior,” Flarepelt snapped, lashing her tail. “I have authority over her.” 

“Oh yeah?” Swifthawk hissed. “Well, when I’m deputy, I’ll have authority over _you_ , and you won’t be able to boss cats around like that.”

A burst of anger surged through Flarepelt, and she lashed out and scratched Swifthawk’s ear. He yelped and jumped backwards, then bared his teeth, crouching down as if he was preparing to spring at Flarepelt. 

“What’s going on here!?” Redwing came running over, his golden eyes gleaming fiercely. 

“Flarepelt attacked me!” Swifthawk hissed, pointing with his paw at the tiny trickle of blood that was dripping from his ear. 

“He was being rude!” Flarepelt exclaimed. “He yelled at me for scolding Gorsepaw. She tried to trick Morningkit and Dewkit into eating rabbit droppings.” 

“There was still no need to assault me!” Swifthawk spat. He turned to Redwing. “Father, she needs to be punished!” 

“I don’t care who started it!” Redwing boomed, making both warriors and Gorsepaw freeze in his glare. “You are acting like kits, and you need to stop! Swifthawk, go see Rosefall about your scratched ear, and then take a patrol to check the WindClan border. Flarepelt, you need to calm down. As for you, Gorsepaw, since you don’t seem to have anything productive to do other than bully the kits, why don’t you go change the bedding in the nursery?” 

“I’d love to, Father, but I have training to do with Batfang.” Gorsepaw arrogantly stuck her nose up in the air and ran off to find her mentor. Swifthawk walked towards the medicine den, glaring at Flarepelt over his shoulder.

Redwing sighed heavily. “I’m sorry that my kits are a handful,” he apologized. Then he narrowed his eyes again. “But I do not want to see you scratching Swifthawk like that again. That is not something a grown warrior does to their own Clan mate.”

Flarepelt hung her head, her fur burning with shame. “Yes, Redwing,” she said. 

Shadefire came hurrying up to her as the deputy walked away. “What happened?” he asked.

“Swifthawk and Gorsepaw were getting under my fur,” Flarepelt spat. “They’re both disrespectful, arrogant brats!”

Shadefire pressed up against her. “I agree,” he murmured. “If you ask me, Jumppaw was the only decent kit Heatherbreeze and Redwing had.” He sighed, sadly looking down at the ground as he thought of his apprentice. 

“Do you think Swifthawk has been acting so aggressive lately because he’s lost so many loved ones?” said Flarepelt.

Shadefire shrugged. “Who knows,” he said. “Either way, don’t let him get to you.” 

“No, I shouldn’t,” said Flarepelt. She narrowed her eyes, watching Swifthawk's tail disappear into the medicine den. “At least we have raised our kits better than his parents have.” 

 

The moon hung high in the sky as the Clan gathered around. Cricketkit, Emberkit, and Patchkit stood before Sapstar on the Highledge, their pelts neatly groomed for their apprentice ceremony. All three of them quivered with anticipation—even Patchkit seemed eager for the ritual to begin. Flarepelt watched her kits with a mingling of pride and sadness. She was overjoyed that her kits were being made into apprentices, but starting tonight, she wouldn’t be sleeping with them in the nursery anymore.

“StarClan, I call you to look down upon these young cats,” said Sapstar. “They are ready to begin learning the ways of your noble code.” 

He looked out into the crowd. “Sunstorm!” he called.

Sunstorm came scrambling up the rocks. Flarepelt had already told him he was being chosen to mentor Patchkit, but his eyes were still gleaming with excitement. 

“Sunstorm, you are a brave, strong warrior,” said Sapstar. “I hope you will pass along these qualities to Patchpaw, and help him become the best warrior he can be.”

Sunstorm dipped his head. “Yes, I will.” 

Patchpaw touched his nose to Sunstorm’s, giving the older cat a happy, trusting look. Flarepelt felt very content to know that her son was satisfied with the choice she had made for his mentor.

“Silverlily!” Sapstar summoned the pale gray she-cat up to the Highledge. “You will be mentor to Cricketpaw. You are a confident, wise cat, and I hope you will use that to guide Cricketpaw.” 

Cricketpaw could barely contain herself as Silverlily lowered her head to touch noses with her new apprentice.

“And last but not least, Lightstripe!” Sapstar called. Flarepelt let out a happy gasp as she saw her former mentor climb up to the Highledge. She had enjoyed training under the wise, noble warrior so much—she was sure Emberpaw would like Lightstripe as well! 

“You will be mentor to Emberpaw,” Sapstar told the tabby warrior. “Please pass along your bravery and skill to her.” 

Lightstripe touched his nose to Emberpaw’s, and then exchanged a glance with Silverlily. For the first time since their mates’ deaths, both warriors looked truly happy. 

“Patchpaw! Cricketpaw! Emberpaw!” The cats of ThunderClan roared. Flarepelt and Shadefire yowled their kits’ names at the top of their lungs, as the stars of Silverpelt shimmered brightly above. 

_Mother, Father, and Lichentail, please watch over my kits as they train,_ Flarepelt said silently.


	9. Chapter 9

“Hey Emberpaw, how was training today?” Flarepelt asked as her daughter sank down tiredly next to her in the shade.

“Exhausting,” Emberpaw panted. “Lightstripe is so strict!”

“Oh, certainly he isn’t,” said Flarepelt with an amused purr. “He was my mentor as well. He always tries to teach his apprentices to move quickly like him, but eventually, it won’t seem so hard.” 

It had been nearly a moon since Flarepelt’s kits had become apprentices. Even though they came back worn out from training every day, they always wanted to tell Flarepelt and Shadefire about all they had learned. Patchpaw had proudly carried a rabbit into camp the other day, having chased it down and killed it with guidance from Sunstorm. Flarepelt couldn’t be more pleased at how her brother was bringing out the best in her son, just as she had hoped. 

Cricketpaw came bouncing into the camp, talking excitedly to Silverlily, who looked a bit worn out by her feisty apprentice. 

“Did you see me when I jumped really high in the air, and avoided that swipe from Emberpaw?” she cried.

“Yes I did,” said Silverlily. “You’re learning fast, although you still have a lot to learn.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll learn it all!” Cricketpaw cried.

“I’m sure you will, dear,” Silverlily purred.

As Cricketleap ran over to join her mother and sister, Lightstripe came over and affectionately nudged Silverlily’s head. The two cats intertwined their tails, and then went to sit in a shady spot together.

“Have you noticed that Silverlily and Lightstripe have been spending a lot of time together lately?” Emberpaw mumbled to Flarepelt.

Flarepelt nodded. “I have. I guess they enjoy each other’s company because they both lost their mates in the greencough outbreak.” 

“Yeah, and they’re around each other whenever Cricketpaw and I train together,” said Emberpaw. She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes they make moony faces at each other, and it’s kind of disgusting.”

Flarepelt let out a laugh. “I remember when the other apprentices used to tease your father and me about liking each other when we were young.” She hid a sigh, once again missing Lichentail. 

Suddenly, she saw Sunstorm coming back with Patchpaw, and was startled to see her son limping slightly. Batfang and Gorsepaw came up behind them, and then hurried away. Sunstorm cast a glare in their direction.

“What happened!?” Flarepelt came running up to Patchpaw.

“Gorsepaw clawed me really hard during training,” said Patchpaw with a wince. Flarepelt gasped when she saw bloody claw marks on Patchpaw’s haunch. 

“But apprentices are supposed to train with claws sheathed!” Flarepelt cried.

“Well, Batfang doesn’t believe that,” Sunstorm spat. “He told Gorsepaw to fight like it was a real battle, even though Patchpaw is far below her level!”

“I’m reporting this to Sapstar!” Flarepelt hissed, her legs trembling with anger. She raced over to the base of the Highledge, where Sapstar was talking with Redwing. 

“Gorsepaw hurt Patchpaw!” she spat at them. She cleared her throat, and then, more respectfully, said, “Batfang had Gorsepaw fight with unsheathed claws, and she hurt Patchpaw’s leg.” 

“I will talk with Batfang,” said Sapstar, his amber eyes gleaming sternly. 

Redwing sighed. “I’ll try to talk to Gorsepaw,” he said. “But she’s been so aloof towards me lately.”

“Well, please try to talk to her,” said Flarepelt tersely. She walked away, and headed for the medicine den, where Rosefall was tenderly applying chewed up dock leaves to Patchpaw’s scratches.

“Ow!” he cried, scooting away. 

“It stings a little bit, but it will help heal your scratches,” said Rosefall. 

Patchpaw gritted his teeth as Rosefall patted more of the green poultice onto his leg.

“There we go,” she said gently. 

“I told Sapstar what happened,” said Flarepelt. “He’s going to have a talk with Batfang, who apparently doesn’t believe in keeping your claws sheathed during practice battles.” 

Rosefall gasped. “He shouldn’t be a mentor!” 

Flarepelt nodded in agreement. She looked across the clearing, where she spotted Sapstar talking to Batfang. The dark warrior hung his head and murmured some apologetic sounding words to Sapstar, and then walked away, his eyes smoldering. He went over to sit next to Swifthawk, who he was good friends with. The two of them talked quietly, casting a few glares over in Flarepelt’s direction. 

“Well forgive me for defending my son,” Flarepelt growled under her breath. She draped her tail protectively over Patchpaw’s shoulders, and led him to where Cricketpaw, and Emberpaw were sharing fresh-kill with Shadefire, who’d just come back from patrol.

“I heard you got a little scraped up during training,” said Shadefire to Patchpaw. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, Rosefall took care of it,” said Patchpaw. 

“Gorsepaw got a little carried away,” said Flarepelt, trying to control the anger in her voice. “But I’ve talked with Sapstar to ensure it won’t happen again.” 

Shadefire looked curiously at his mate, but Flarepelt decided to change the subject to cheer Patchpaw up. 

“So, other than that, did everyone have a good day of training?” she asked her kits. 

“I did!” Cricketpaw cried. “Silverlily’s been showing me how to climb trees. I climbed up one that was almost as tall as the ravine wall!”

“Wow,” Flarepelt praised. 

“And then Emberpaw and I did a mock battle, and I won!” Cricketpaw purred.

“Who says?” said Emberpaw. 

“I knocked you down, so I win!” said Cricketpaw.

“Yeah, but after you knocked me down, I boxed your ears and sent you flying into a bush,” said Emberpaw. 

As the two sisters argued, Swifthawk suddenly came over to Flarepelt, lashing his tail. Flarepelt stood up, giving Swifthawk the same scorching look he was giving her. 

“So, you still think you can tell my sister what to do?” he growled. 

“Your sister broke the rules!” Flarepelt could barely contain her rage. “She used her claws on my son during training! Did you expect me to do nothing about it?”

“Your son’s a wimp,” Swifthawk sneered. “It’s not Gorsepaw’s fault if he can’t defend himself.” 

Flarepelt shoved her face into Swifthawk’s and snarled so ferociously that the large warrior took a step back.   
“Do not call my son a wimp,” she threatened, unsheathing her claws. 

“Or what?” Swifthawk taunted. 

“Or you’ll regret it,” Flarepelt growled. 

“Make me,” hissed Swifthawk. 

Flarepelt drew back her forepaw and lashed Swifthawk hard across the face, leaving four long, thin, bloody streaks. Gasps rang out everywhere, and the whole clearing fell silent as they turned their eyes on Flarepelt and Swifthawk. Swifthawk screeched and launched at Flarepelt, biting down on her shoulder. She kicked at his stomach, hissing viciously.   
Suddenly, Shadefire and Redwing were both there, pulling Swifthawk off of her. 

“Flarepelt!” Redwing hissed. “Go to the warrior’s den, now! You are confined there until dawn tomorrow.”

“Fine!” Flarepelt spat, angrily marching away as Redwing led his son to the edge of the camp to talk. She slipped into the cave, turning around and lying down miserably in her   
nest. Shadefire was there a moment later, touching his nose to her ear.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I don’t think you did anything wrong. You were just defending Patchpaw.”

“I hate that slimy furball,” Flarepelt hissed.

“I know,” Shadefire lay down beside his mate. “He was being unfair.” 

_Lichentail, why did you choose him to be your mate?_ Flarepelt thought as she curled up beside Shadefire.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Flarepelt got up and went to talk with her kits as they sat around the fresh-kill pile. To her relief, they all talked as if nothing had happened, excited about going back out into the forest to train. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Flarepelt saw Swifthawk walk up to Sleetfall, who was sharing a squirrel with Sunstorm.

“Hey, Sleetfall,” he said, an odd twinkle in his eye. “Wanna come eat with Burningwind and me?” 

Sleetfall, looking uncomfortable, shrank back slightly and said, “Um, no thank you.”

Swifthawk frowned. “But I thought you and Burningwind were friends.”

“We are,” said Sleetfall. “But I’m already eating with Sunstorm.” 

“Are you sure?” Swifthawk asked.

“Hey, back off!” Sunstorm snapped. “She said no.” 

“Fine!” Swifthawk lashed his tail and hissed. “Nobody wants to listen to me these days!”

Suddenly, he turned and ran for the gorse tunnel that led out of the camp, ignoring Redwing’s call for him to come back. 

“Wow, he’s like a kit,” Emberpaw snorted. 

“You’re got that right,” Flarepelt agreed. She went over to Sleetfall. 

“You okay?” she asked the white she-cat.

Sleetfall nodded. “Yeah…he’s been bothering me a lot lately. I think he’s been looking for a new mate ever since, well…he lost Lichentail.”

Sunstorm draped his tail protectively across his former apprentice’s back. “He has no business bothering you,” he growled. “You’re too young for him, anyways.”

“I wish Redwing would discipline him rather than just talk to him whenever something happens,” Flarepelt growled under her breath. 

Sunstorm nodded. “Our father would have clawed my fur off if I’d ever acted that way.” 

Flarepelt sighed. “If he’s going to succeed Redwing as deputy, he’d better grow up first.” 

 

Around midday, Flarepelt was called over to join a patrol. Silverlily and Cricketpaw were also chosen to go, along with Sleetfall and Burningwind. Led by Redwing, they headed out through the gorse tunnel to check the WindClan border. Cricketpaw bounced along, excited to be with both her mentor and her mother. 

“Do you think we’ll see any WindClan cats?” she chirped. 

“We better not,” Burningwind growled. 

“I don’t think we will,” said Silverlily. “They stopped intruding on our territory when we attacked their camp last greenleaf.” 

Cricketpaw’s tail drooped in disappointment. “I’ve never seen any cats from another Clan before,” she said. 

“Well, you’ll get to see plenty of them when you go to your first Gathering,” Flarepelt reminded her. 

“Oh yeah!” Cricketpaw perked up. “I forgot about that! What are the other Clans like?” 

“WindClan are a bunch of cowardly fleabags, ShadowClan are about as trustworthy as foxes, and RiverClan smells like fish,” said Burningwind. 

“Oh, there are plenty of nice cats in each Clan, even if some are unpleasant,” said Flarepelt with an amused purr. 

“More like all,” Burningwind murmured. 

Sleetfall swatted him with her tail. “You never even try to be friendly at Gatherings,” she said.

“Hey, Cricketpaw!” Flarepelt whispered to her daughter. “Do you see that squirrel hiding under that fern over there?”

“I do!” Cricketpaw whispered back.

“Try to catch it,” said Flarepelt.

Cricketpaw crept silently over to the fern, steadily placing her paws in front of each other and crouching low to the ground. Suddenly, a bird cawed from overhead, causing the squirrel to dart out from its hiding place. It raced towards a tree, but Cricketpaw was faster. She pounced on the squirrel in a flash and quickly bit down on its neck. 

“Good job!” Flarepelt praised. 

“Just like I taught you,” Silverlily purred. 

“Bury that squirrel, and we’ll pick it up on our way back,” said Redwing. He suddenly sniffed the air and frowned. “Hmm, seems like Swifthawk was here not too long ago. I wonder where he went off to.” 

“Probably to pout somewhere like a kit,” said Cricketpaw under her breath. Flarepelt had to bite down on her tongue to keep from laughing. 

The patrol reached the WindClan border, and began renewing the scent marks along it. The blood and fur that had lingered there after the battle moons ago had finally been washed away by the rain newleaf had brought. 

“What do WindClan warriors eat?” Cricketpaw asked curiously. 

“Rabbits, mostly,” said Silverlily. 

“There don’t seem to be any trees in their territory,” said Cricketpaw, gazing out towards the moor. 

“WindClan cats aren’t good at climbing trees,” said Silverlily. “That gives us an advantage in battle. If they invade our territory, we can hide up in the trees and then jump and come crashing down on them!”

“Oooh!” Cricketpaw cried. “I hope I get to do that someday!” 

“I’m sure you will, dear,” Silverlily purred. “Now, can you scent the air and tell me what smells you can pick up?”

Cricketpaw inhaled deeply. “I smell some more squirrels,” she said. “And a few rabbits and WindClan scent. And…” She suddenly frowned as a light breeze blew past the patrol. “I smell....blood?" 

Flarepelt opened her jaws to drink in the scent that the breeze brought. Her fur stood up on end as she indeed recognized the coppery reek of blood....and it smelled like a lot of it. 

“A cat’s been hurt!” she yowled. 

“Maybe it’s just some prey that’s been killed,” said Burningwind. 

Flarepelt shook her head. “No, that’s definitely cat blood,” she said. “Come on!”

They followed the smell towards the lake shore, picking up pace as it grew stronger. The fur rose all the way along Flarepelt’s spine as the air grew tangy with the scent. 

Redwing was the first to reach the shore, disappearing around the ancient oak tree. Suddenly, an eerie silence seemed to grip the air. 

“Redwing?” Flarepelt called out nervously. “Is everything okay?” 

She was answered by a loud, agonized sceram. 

“NO! NO, NO, NO, _NO!_ ” 

Flarepelt’s heart hammered in her chest. She didn't recognize the usually collected deputy’s voice—it was high-pitched and raw with despair. She raced around the oak tree, skidding to a halt in the sand as she took in the sight before her. 

Redwing was crouched over Swifthawk, who lay still on the shore. The tabby warrior’s pelt was covered in several deep, bleeding wounds, turning the sand beneath him pink. A huge gash was torn in his throat, and his golden eyes stared blankly ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

“What’s going on?” Cricketpaw came running up from behind Flarepelt, who immediately blocked her daughter’s path, not wanting her to see the horrible scene. 

“Go back to the camp,” she said quietly. “Tell them that Swifthawk is dead.”

“What!?” Cricketpaw shrieked. 

Silverlily peered over Flarepelt’s shoulder and let out a horrified gasp. “Oh great StarClan!” 

“Silverlily, can you go back to camp with Cricketpaw?” Flarepelt asked. 

“Y-yes, I can…Cricketpaw, come with me.” Silverlily gently nudged her apprentice, encouraging her to follow. The two she-cats took off into the forest. 

“No, StarClan, please, no!” Redwing sobbed, pressing his face into his son’s bloody fur. 

“Swifthawk!” Burningwind’s cry broke Flarepelt’s heart in two as he ran over to his former mentor’s body. “Oh Swifthawk, no!” 

“Who…who would do this?” Sleetfall stammered, coming up to stand beside Flarepelt. 

“I don’t know,” Flarepelt whispered. “It looks like there was some sort of battle.”

“Come on, Swifthawk.” Burningwind sounded like a small, frightened kit as he touched his nose to his former mentor’s. “Get up.” 

“He’s dead, Burningwind,” said Redwing hoarsely. He collapsed in the sand next to his son’s body, his eyes glazed over in shock. 

“We need to get his body back to camp,” said Flarepelt. 

Burningwind suddenly let out a vicious growl, his orangey-brown fur spiking up from his shoulders to the tip of his tail. 

“I smell RiverClan!” he snarled. “RiverClan did this!” 

“I’ll flay those fish breaths!” Redwing snapped out of his trance, beginning to wildly claw at the sand. 

“Redwing,” said Flarepelt calmly as she walked up to her deputy. “We need to carry Swifthawk’s body back to camp. Then we can get our revenge.”

Redwing froze. He was silent for a few moments, and then, he closed his eyes and gave a slight nod. Flarepelt helped pull Swifthawk’s body onto his father’s back, and Burningwind helped Redwing carry him as they made their way back to camp. 

“Oh, StarClan, how could this happen?” Sleetfall whispered. “Haven’t we lost enough cats recently?” 

As they approached the entrance to the ThunderClan camp, several shocked and distressed yowls were coming from the ravine—Cricketpaw and Silverlily must have just told the Clan the news. When they walked through the thorn tunnel, with Swifthawks’ body in tow, everyone fell silent. They stared at the bloodstained warrior as Redwing and Burningwind slowly lowered his body to the ground. Then, Sapstar came walking over. 

“How did this happen?” he asked calmly. 

“RiverClan murdered him!” Burningwind snarled. “We smelled their scent on his body!” 

The camp exploded into screaming, angry yowls, and snarls. 

“Let’s kill them all!” Batfang howled. 

“Yes, let’s go now!” Gorsepaw agreed. 

“QUIET!” Sapstar ordered his Clan. When the commotion died down, he said, “We don’t know exactly what happened, and we still need to figure things out. Redwing, go see Rosefall—you look like you’re in shock.”

“I don’t need to see her!” Redwing snarled. “I need to avenge my son!”

Cricketpaw came over to Flarepelt, pressing against her with a whimper. The young cat wasn’t used to seeing the normally calm deputy so vicious. 

Sapstar laid his tail comfortingly across his deputy’s shoulders. “I know,” he said soothingly. “I promise you we will find out why they did this, and punish those responsible. But right now, we need to have a vigil for our fallen warrior, and process what has happened.”

Redwing gave a deep, shuddering breath. Rosefall came over to him, offering him a poppy seed. He lapped it up, and then lay down beside Swifthawk, moaning, “My son, oh…my son…”

“Rosefall,” said Sapstar, addressing the medicine cat quietly. “Can you go to RiverClan and ask someone what happened? They won’t attack a medicine cat.” 

“I don’t know about that for sure,” said Flarepelt, coming up to stand beside her sister. “Something has angered them enough to kill one of our warriors. I’ll go with her.” 

“Alright, but be careful,” said Sapstar firmly. 

“Mother, can I go with you?” Patchpaw came over to Flarepelt. “I want to make sure you’re safe.”

“Me too!” Cricketpaw came up to stand beside her brother. 

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Flarepelt told her kits. 

“She will,” Emberpaw reassured her siblings. “Mother is very tough.” She blinked at Flarepelt. “Please come back safely, okay?” 

“I will,” Flarepelt promised. 

“Good luck.” Shadefire came up and touched his nose to Flarepelt’s. “I would go with you, but more than two ThunderClan cats might alarm RiverClan.” 

Flarepelt brushed her muzzle against her mate’s. “I’ll be right back, I promise,” she said. 

The two sisters went running towards the shore where Swifthawk had been found. They hurried along the very edge of the WindClan territory, following the lake towards RiverClan’s territory. After what seemed like forever, the grassy moorland gave away to tall reeds. The river gurgled in the near distance. The two sisters cautiously slipped in between the reeds, navigating through a thick field of them. They emerged on the other side, seeing the river rushing along nearby. Rosefall suddenly pointed with her tail as a patrol approached, led by a dark gray cat that Flarepelt recognized as Coldstar’s daughter Graydusk. She let out a furious hiss and charged towards the ThunderClan cats. 

“Wait!” Rosefall cried as the two of them crouched to the ground in submission. “We come in peace.” 

Graydusk scented the air as the RiverClan patrol skidded to a halt in front of them, making sure that Rosefall and Flarepelt were alone. 

“What do you want?” she growled. 

“We found our warrior Swifthawk lying dead at the edge of our territory,” said Flarepelt steadily. “There was RiverClan scent on his body. We just want to know what happened.” 

“That brute attacked Pebblecreek!” Graydusk snarled. 

“What!?” Rosefall cried. “The medicine cat apprentice!?” 

“I saw it happen with my own two eyes,” Graydusk hissed. “He came all the way over here and attacked her while she was gathering herbs by the river. I was leading another patrol this morning, and we caught him in the act and killed him. He deserved it.” 

“I see,” said Rosefall quietly.

“Why was he attacking Pebblecreek?” Flarepelt asked.

“I don’t know!” Graydusk hissed. “Whatever reason, it wasn’t a good one. Pebblecreek did nothing wrong!”

“Alright,” said Flarepelt quietly. “We believe you.” 

“Now get out of our territory.” Graydusk unsheathed her claws. 

The two she-cats turned and dove back into the reeds, following the lake shore all the way back to ThunderClan. When they returned, the Clan was all sitting quietly in a semicircle in the clearing, Swifthawk lying in the center. Redwing and Gorsepaw were licking at his torn pelt. Gorsepaw lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at Rosefall and Flarepelt came into the camp.

“Well?” she snarled. “What excuse did RiverClan give for murdering my brother?” 

“We ran into a patrol that said they saw Swifthawk attack Pebblecreek, Fernlight’s apprentice,” said Rosefall.

The camp exploded once more into furious yowls. 

“Lies!” Gorsepaw screeched. “Swifthawk would never do such a thing!” 

“They’re obviously making it up!” Batfang snarled. “We have to attack their camp!”

Sapstar tried to calm his Clan, but failed to do so. Redwing ran straight for the entrance to the camp, the effects of the poppy seed seeming to disappear. Several warriors followed him. 

“Stop!” Sapstar leapt in front of them, fixing them with a furious glare. “Redwing, I gave no order to leave!” 

“Do you expect me to just sit here after those brutes killed my son!?” Redwing snarled, his amber eyes glinting.

“I understand that you’re grieving,” said Sapstar steadily. “We all are. But we can’t just rush into this blindly—we have to have a strategy.” 

“What do you suggest, then?” Redwing growled. 

“We wait until the next Gathering to talk to Coldstar about this,” said Sapstar. “If we don’t like his reasoning for his warriors killing Swifthawk, then we’ll attack.” 

Screeches of protest rang out through the camp. 

“I will not wait until the next Gathering!” Redwing screamed, scouring huge claw marks into the earth.

Sapstar sighed. For a moment, Flarepelt thought her leader looked very old and tired. 

“Very well,” he said. “We will launch an attack on RiverClan. But under _my_ conditions, as I am your leader, if you all have forgotten. You must all follow my orders, and secondly, we will _not_ fight to kill. Let’s not stoop to our enemy’s level. But we will make them regret what they have done!”

The cats yowled passionately.

“All apprentices except Gorsepaw stay here and guard the camp,” Sapstar ordered. “Sunstorm and Silverlily, stay with them. Do you think Icefeather can help guard as well?” 

“I can,” said Icefeather, who was standing outside the nursery. She slid out her claws while using her tail to shoo her bewildered kits back inside.

Silverlily went up to Lightstripe and touched noses with him. “Be careful,” she said. 

“I will,” Lightstripe promised, giving her a lick. 

“You’ll be okay, right?” Patchpaw looked worriedly at his parents. 

“Yes, we will,” Flarepelt promised him. 

“Stay here and help Sunstorm guard the camp, alright?” said Shadefire. 

Patchpaw nodded. “I will.”

“If any RiverClan warriors show up here, we’ll make them regret it!” Emberpaw unsheathed her claws. 

“I wish you all the luck in the world,” said Cricketpaw as she rubbed up against her parents. 

“We will back, I promise,” Flarepelt told her kits. 

The ThunderClan warriors streamed out of the camp, running through the forest and along the lake towards RiverClan territory. Burningwind, Gorsepaw, and Batfang were loudly chanting Swifthawk’s name. Flarepelt gave Shadefire an uneasy look. She wasn’t sure if she agreed with this battle, when most of ThunderClan were refusing to listen to RiverClan’s side of the story. Shadefire shook his head. It was too late now to try to resolve this peacefully. 

When they reached the river, a large patrol was already standing on guard, as if they had been anticipating this. The deputy, a black she-cat named Splitgaze, yowled for the RiverClan warriors to attack. In just a matter of seconds, the riverbank was filled with screeching, writhing cats. 

_StarClan, please let this battle end quick,_ Flarepelt prayed as she dove into the turmoil.


	12. Chapter 12

A bright ginger she-cat flew at Flarepelt. She dodged out of the way, and the she-cat landed heavily on the ground. Flarepelt headed over to help Shadefire fight off a large tom, but then, all of a sudden, the she-cat grabbed her tail in her teeth and bit down hard. Flarepelt shrieked and turned, raking her claws across her opponent’s face. A burst of rage pulsed through her as the she-cat clawed her face in return. She tackled her enemy, sending them both rolling across the bank, clawing and biting at each other. Flarepelt clawed out clumps of orange fur, sinking her teeth into her enemy’s shoulder. The she-cat angrily twisted beneath her, trying to escape. Suddenly, Flarepelt was knocked off her paws as another cat slammed into her. She went skidding across the ground, and then was pinned down by a large brown tom. He hissed menacingly, and was about to strike with his fangs when suddenly, both Shadefire and Lightstripe were there, wrestling him off of her. Flarepelt jumped up, watching the three toms roll away in a screeching whirl of claws. 

Looking around, ThunderClan and RiverClan seemed equally strong. Everyone was matching each other blow for blow, spraying blood across the riverbank. Shadefire and Lightstripe broke away from the brown tom, who fled along the riverbank. Flarepelt dodged a gray and white tom as he leaped at her. He went crashing into Sunstorm, who gave him a fierce bite and sent him running. A smaller tabby tom, who looked like an apprentice, went running in the direction of the RiverClan camp, as if to get help. Suddenly, Burningwind was there, ramming into the apprentice and sending him careening into a boulder. Flarepelt gasped as the young cat hit his head hard and crumpled in a heap, lying very still. 

“Flarepelt!” She looked over to see Shadefire cornered against another boulder by a silver and white she-cat and a sandy colored tom. She went running over and knocked the she-cat off her paws, biting down hard on the scruff of her neck. Her opponent wailed and scrambled away. Shadefire grappled with the tom, while Flarepelt went to help Sleetfall, who was trapped under a brown and ginger she-cat. Flarepelt raked her claws across the enemy cat’s side, leaving a gash and sending her fleeing. Suddenly, she saw the RiverClan leader, Coldstar, running up the riverbank, with more warriors following him. The old tom’s blue eyes gleamed with fury as he jumped into the battle. 

The air grew rancid with the smell of blood. Everyone’s pelts were covered in wounds, their fangs and claws stained red and their eyes wild. Batfang was writhing with Graydusk in the sand by the river, both of them snapping at each other’s throats. Gorsepaw clamped her jaws down on the neck of a silver tom, and he went limp. 

“Sapstar said not to kill!” Flarepelt yowled, but no one seemed to hear her. Suddenly, a fleeing she-cat came running down the shore, whipping her head around confusedly as blood dripped into her eyes. She crashed into Flarepelt, knocking heads with her. A loud ringing sounded in Flarepelt’s ears as her head exploded with pain, and she collapsed heavily on the shore. She lay there, trying to gain sense of her surroundings as her vision blurred. 

“Flarepelt!” Suddenly, Shadefire was at her side, nosing her to her paws. Flarepelt groaned, leaning against Shadefire’s shoulder. Every part of her body hurt. 

“I’ll get you away from here!” he shouted over the fighting. “You’re bleeding badly, and you need to get back to camp!” 

Suddenly, a loud, chilling snarl made everyone’s heads turn. The battle momentarily ceased as Sapstar and Coldstar faced each other on top of a large rock in the river. The two leaders glared into each other’s eyes, baring their fangs and lashing their tails, low growls steadily growing from deep in their chests. Suddenly, they exploded into a whirlwind of gray and brown, battering and clawing at each other.

“Go, Sapstar!” Burningwind yowled. “You can do it!” 

The leaders’ fight intensified as their respective Clans cheered them on. Sapstar gripped his opponent with his forepaws and plunged his fangs into Coldstar’s shoulder. Coldstar screeched and twisted away. Sapstar lunged at Coldstar again, but Coldstar met him head on, smashing his head into Sapstar’s chest. The ThunderClan leader went flying off the rock, and plunged beneath the river’s surface. 

“No!” Flarepelt gasped.

A few long, terror-stricken moments later, Sapstar’s head emerged beneath the waves, his ears plastered to his head, the river drowning out his silent cry for help. He then disappeared back under, rolling away with the current. 

“Sapstar!” Redwing yowled. As a few ThunderClan warriors ran along the shore, trying to find their leader, Redwing jumped onto the rock and flung himself at Coldstar. The older tom dodged out of the way, but suddenly slipped on a puddle of blood and went crashing down on his side. Redwing sank his teeth deep into Coldstar’s throat, keeping his hold as the gray tom struggled and battered at him. Then, all of a sudden, Redwing tore his head away, a huge chunk of flesh in his mouth. 

“Oh StarClan, no!” Flarepelt cried in horror as the RiverClan leader let out a loud, rattling gurgle and then lay still. 

“FATHER!” Graydusk, who had broken away from Batfang, sprung from another rock and landed squarely in front of Redwing. Before he could react, she swiftly raked her claws over his eyes. The ThunderClan deputy screamed as Graydusk then grabbed him, threw him down to the rock, and continued to slash at his eyes. Flarepelt pressed close to Shadefire, trembling as blood and tatters of flesh sprayed up from Redwing’s face. 

“Please, stop!” he howled. “ _Stop it!_ ” 

Graydusk jumped backwards, revealing huge, bloody claw marks where Redwing’s eyes used to be, scattered with bits of his shredded eyelids. Flarepelt swayed on her paws, feeling like she was going to be sick. 

“That’s what you get for taking my father’s last life!” Graydusk spat, shaking the pulpy flesh off her claws. 

The ThunderClan warriors began to step back from the shore, their fur bristling in shock. 

“This battle is over!” Splitgaze called to the RiverClan warriors, panting as blood poured from a large wound on her shoulder. “Retreat!” 

Graydusk leapt off the rock and followed Splitgaze as she led the RiverClan warriors away. Two muscular toms hauled Coldstar’s body onto their backs. The ThunderClan warriors sank down on their haunches, too stunned to stop their enemies from fleeing. Lightstripe leaped up onto the rock where Redwing was, helping the blinded deputy to his feet and letting him lean on his shoulder for support. Redwing was hyperventilating, gasping, “I can’t see! I can’t see!” 

“Somebody find Sapstar!” Lightstripe yowled. 

“Burningwind and Sleetfall went to go look for him,” Batfang panted, blood bubbling from his mouth as he talked. 

Flarepelt suddenly snapped out of her haze as terror for her leader pulsed through her. She went running down the shore with Shadefire at her heels. 

“Sapstar!” she yelled. “Sapstar, where are you?” 

She and her mate went running all the way down the shore, past the edge of RiverClan’s territory and under a huge stone Twoleg bridge. They kept following the river until they could see Burningwind and Sleetfall in the distance, crouched over something on a stretch of sand. 

“Hey!” Flarepelt yowled. 

The two younger cats turned to look as Flarepelt and Shadefire came racing over. They skidded to a halt in the sand when they saw Sapstar lying there limply, his mottled pelt soaked and plastered to his skin. 

“Is he losing a life?” Shadefire gasped. 

Burningwind and Sleetfall looked back at Sapstar, not responding. Flarepelt leaned over Sapstar, listening for any sign of breathing. 

“Sapstar?” she cried, putting a paw on her leader’s shoulder and shaking him.

“Flarepelt.” Sleetfall’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “He hasn’t woken up.” 

“But—but he has three lives left!” Flarepelt stammered.

“We found him like this,” Burningwind murmured. “It seems was underwater for a long time.” 

“No!” Flarepelt whispered shrilly, shaking Sapstar again.

“Flarepelt,” said Burningwind flatly. “He’s gone.”


	13. Chapter 13

Flarepelt felt numb as she staggered back towards camp, leaning on Shadefire for support. Lightstripe and Burningwind were carrying Sapstar’s body in between them. 

“He can’t be gone,” she whispered to Shadefire. “He just can’t—he had three lives left!”

“It seemed they were all snuffed out by the river,” Shadefire murmured. “StarClan couldn’t have helped him if he couldn’t resurface.” 

Flarepelt moaned, burying her face into her mate’s black fur. 

When they reached the ThunderClan camp, a chilling silence gripped the ravine. Everyone stared wordlessly as Sapstar’s body was carried into the ravine. Redwing was lying on the ground, moaning and whimpering as Rosefall tended to his ruined eyes. 

“Sapstar!?” he called out. “Are you back? Are you okay?”

“Redwing, he’s dead,” said Lightstripe softly. “He lost his last three lives in the river.” 

“Oh, StarClan, no!” Redwing yowled. Rosefall held him still, stroking her tail comfortingly along his flank. 

“This can’t be happening!” Redwing cried. “I…I can’t be leader if I’m blind!” 

The horrible realization struck Flarepelt, and she turned to Shadefire, who looked equally as alarmed. 

“We have no leader or deputy!” Sleetfall wailed. 

The cats of ThunderClan erupted into panicked murmurs and cries, looking around wildly, as if trying to find a cat to look to. Silverlily came over to Lightstripe, trembling, and pressed her face into his fur. Flarepelt’s kits came up to her, their eyes wide with terror. 

“Is it true?” Cricketpaw gasped. “Is Sapstar really dead?” 

Seeing her kits’ frightened faces suddenly made Flarepelt alert. Brushing away her fear, she yowled out to the Clan, “Everybody calm down! It will be alright!” 

“Easy for you to say!” Gorsepaw spat. “You still have most of your family!” 

“I’m sure StarClan will send us a sign saying who they want as our next leader,” said Flarepelt. 

“StarClan has abandoned us!” Batfang roared. The dark warrior was crouched on the ground, covered in multiple deep wounds. “They’ve taken away our leader, our best warrior, and our deputy’s sight!”

As more panicked cries rang out, Lightstripe yowled, “Everyone! Let Flarepelt speak.”

Flarepelt nodded gratefully to the older warrior. She turned to Rosefall and said, “StarClan will send us a sign, right?” 

“I…I assume so,” Rosefall stuttered. She looked back and forth between the injured Redwing and the others, obviously overwhelmed. 

“Let’s all rest, and let Rosefall treat our injuries,” said Flarepelt. “Then we’ll see who our leader will be.” 

“You don’t get to boss us around!” Gorsepaw hissed.

“Well, what do _you_ suggest we do?” Flarepelt asked her. She felt a wave of satisfaction as Gorsepaw fell silent. 

Rosefall went around the camp, treating each cat for injuries. Everyone that had participated in the battle was badly bitten or scratched in some way. Icefeather helped Rosefall rub poultices into the wounds and wrap them with cobwebs. 

“Who’s going to be our leader now?” Morningkit squeaked. She and Dewkit were poking their heads out of the nursery, watching everything with their wide little eyes. 

“Stay in the nursery!” Icefeather ordered them. 

“Hey, why don’t I tell you two a story?” said Cricketpaw, bounding over to the nursery and gently ushering the kits inside. Icefeather gave a grateful glance in her direction.   
Meanwhile, Sunstorm and Lightstripe were walking around the camp with Patchpaw and Emberpaw, giving reassurances to their shaken Clan mates. Flarepelt purred—she was proud of her kits for helping keep everyone calm. 

When night came, all the warriors were finally treated. Flarepelt sat between Rosefall and Shadefire as the whole Clan sat vigil for Sapstar. She hardly recognized him. The once strong, sturdy leader lay limply in the middle of the clearing, seeming much frailer and older now that he’d lost all his lives. Flarepelt stared up at Silverpelt. The stars seemed dull and faint tonight. 

“StarClan, please,” she heard Rosefall whisper. “Tell us who should lead this Clan.” 

Flarepelt slept outside that night, too exhausted and injured to summon the strength to walk to the warrior’s den. Shadefire curled up around her, burying his muzzle in her shoulder. Her kits came up and joined them, their soft breathing and warm pelts lulling Flarepelt to sleep. 

In the morning, Lightstripe led a small border patrol to keep an eye out for any RiverClan cats that might want revenge for Coldstar’s death. Flarepelt came over to talk to Rosefall, who was over by the elder’s den squeezing celandine juice onto the remains of Redwing’s eyes. She flinched, still not used to the mess of slash marks and scabs where the deputy’s bright amber eyes used to be. 

“Can you do anything to help restore his eyesight, even a little?” Flarepelt asked quietly.

Rosefall shook her head. “The damage is far too great,” she said. “All I can do is prevent an infection.”

“I deserve this,” Redwing croaked. “I forced ThunderClan into a battle that shouldn’t have been fought. I was too blinded by my rage. I forgot my dignity, and I killed Coldstar.” 

“Stop blaming yourself,” Rosefall soothed. “Everyone was angry. But now it’s over.”

“No, it isn’t,” Redwing growled. “Because of me, our relationship with RiverClan is ruined forever.” 

“I doubt that,” said Rosefall. “Allegiances always change with the seasons. Battles happen, but are eventually forgotten.” 

“Has StarClan talked to you yet about a new leader?” Flarepelt asked her sister.

Rosefall wearily shook her head. “No, I haven’t gotten any sleep,” she said. “One of Batfang’s wounds opened in the middle of the night, and it took me forever to close it again.”

She stood up and headed for her den. “I’m going to sleep now, and see if StarClan will visit me in my dreams. If there’s an emergency, come wake me.” 

Flarepelt went over to talk to Sunstorm. “Do you think you could take Patchpaw and his sisters out on a hunting patrol?” she asked him. “The fresh-kill pile needs to be restocked.” 

“Sure,” said Sunstorm. He called for the three apprentices, who seemed quite pleased to be of use and eagerly followed Sunstorm out of the camp. Several other cats put themselves to work—Sleetfall entertained Morningkit and Dewkit while Icefeather and Silverlily examined the bramble barrier that surrounded the camp for any weak spots. Gorsepaw went over to Redwing and shared tongues with her wounded father, actually seeming caring and gentle for once. Lightstripe and Batfang sat guard outside the gorse tunnel. Everyone was on edge, as if RiverClan warriors would come running into the camp at any moment, but the day passed by without any disturbances. Sunstorm and the apprentices came back with several plump birds and mice. 

“Great catches!” Flarepelt praised her kits. 

“Patchpaw did a great job of sneaking up on that quail,” said Sunstorm. Patchpaw looked sheepishly at the ground as Flarepelt gave him a lick. 

Suddenly, Rosefall came walking over. “Flarepelt,” she said quietly. “I need to speak to you, alone.”

Flarepelt’s heart thudded with anxiety as she followed her sister over to the medicine den. Once they were inside, Rosefall turned around, her amber eyes bright in the dim light of the cave.

“What’s wrong?” Flarepelt asked. “Did StarClan talk to you?”

Rosefall nodded. “Yes,” she said. Her voice sounded very strange. “They…they told me that there is someone in our Clan who is destined to succeed Sapstar.”

“Well, who is it?” said Flarepelt.

Rosefall blinked. “It’s you.”


	14. Chapter 14

“What!?” Flarepelt swayed on her paws, feeling as though the ground were giving out from under her. “ _Me?_ ”

Rosefall nodded. “I saw Sapstar in my dream, and some of the past leaders, too—Sparkstar and Bramblestar. They told me that it is your destiny to become the next leader.”

“But—but I can’t be leader!” Flarepelt sputtered. “I haven’t had an apprentice! I’m too young!”

“I know, it surprised me too,” said Rosefall gently, placing a paw on top of her sister’s. “But if StarClan thinks you can do it, then you can.” 

“But why me!?” Flarepelt cried. “Why not someone far more experienced, like Lightstripe!?”   
“I don’t know exactly why StarClan has chosen you,” said Rosefall. “But think about it, Flarepelt—you are kind, caring, and level headed—you calmed everyone down when they were panicking yesterday, and assigned tasks. Maybe your time has come a bit early, but I believe you have the qualities of a leader.”

“But what if ThunderClan doesn’t accept me as their leader?” Flarepelt whispered. 

“They have to,” said Rosefall. “It’s the will of StarClan.” 

Flarepelt shook herself, as if she had just climbed out of deep, cold water. 

“Okay…” she said. “Alright…I guess…we should go tell everyone?” 

Rosefall nodded. “We still have a good bit of daylight left. We can make it to the Moonpool before dark.” 

“The…Moonpool!?” Flarepelt cried. In her bewilderment, she had completely forgotten about the ritual that a new leader had to go through. 

“Well, yes,” said Rosefall. “You have to get your nine lives, don’t you?”

“It’s just all…happening so fast…” Flarepelt felt dizzy.

“I know.” Rosefall wrapped her tail around her sister’s shoulders. “I know it must be overwhelming, but StarClan will want to see you as soon as possible. They’ll tell you what to do.” 

“What do they do, some sort of test?” Flarepelt asked. “What if I don’t pass it?”

“It’s not a test,” said Rosefall. “It’s a ceremony—there’s no way to fail it. StarClan has already approved for you to become ThunderClan’s next leader.” 

“O…okay,” said Flarepelt shakily.

“Don’t worry. StarClan will be guiding you,” Rosefall said firmly. “They know how scared and unsure you are. All new leaders are, at first. From what Deepelt told me, Sapstar was trembling when she took him to the Moonpool to receive his nine lives. But when the ceremony was over, it was like he was a completely new cat.” 

“I don’t want to be a new cat,” Flarepelt whispered. “I want to still be…well, me.” 

“You will.” Rosefall licked her ear. “I think Deerpelt meant that he was more confident, and wise. Shadefire and your kits will still love you the same, and so will I.” 

Rosefall led her sister out of the medicine den and towards the Highledge. Flarepelt stumbled as she climbed up the rocks leading up to it, feeling as if she were in some sort of bizarre dream. 

“Everyone!” Rosefall called out. “Gather around for a Clan meeting!” 

The cats gathered around, curiously staring up at Flarepelt. She caught Shadefire’s confused gaze, and gave him a nod that said “Everything is okay.” But inside, her heart was hammering wildly against her chest, and her mind swirled with chaotic, frightened thoughts. She didn’t feel like a leader at all—instead she felt vulnerable and scared, being judged by all of ThunderClan from up on this rock. 

“I have received a message from StarClan,” Rosefall announced. “They told me that our next leader should be Flarepelt.”

Shocked gasps rang out through the crowd. Shadefire’s jaw dropped so low it looked like it would touch the ground. Cricketpaw let out a joyful squeak, jumping up and down.   
“My mother is going to be the leader!” she cried. But the others didn’t seem so enthusiastic. They stared at Flarepelt with puzzled glances. 

“But she hasn’t had an apprentice yet!” Burningwind protested. 

“How do we know you’re telling the truth, Rosefall?” Gorsepaw lashed her tail, fixing the medicine cat with a suspicious look. “Flarepelt is your sister, after all. If you wanted her to become leader, all you have to do is claim StarClan chose her.” 

“Rosefall doesn’t lie!” Sunstorm snarled at Gorsepaw, bearing his fangs at the she-cat. “How dare you accuse her of such a thing?” 

“Gorsepaw has a point,” Batfang growled, glaring up at Flarepelt. “Flarepelt isn’t meant to become leader. She’s too young, and she hasn’t had an apprentice. She couldn’t even be deputy!” 

“Well, StarClan has chosen her,” said Rosefall dryly. 

“If StarClan has made up their mind, then that’s that,” said Lightstripe loudly over the buzzing crowd. “We can’t argue with them. They always know what they’re doing.

“I agree with Lightstripe,” Icefeather spoke up. “Flarepelt is one of our bravest warriors. StarClan has chosen well.” 

“Flarestar!” Sunstorm yowled. Several other warriors joined in, chanting, “Flarestar! Flarestar!”

Flarepelt looked sheepishly down at her paws, although a part of her was comforted by so many cats yelling their support. Shadefire was looking up at her with the most prideful look she’d ever seen. Cricketpaw bounced up and down as she chanted her mother’s name, while Emberpaw and Patchpaw gave her encouraging nods.

“Th-thank you, everyone,” Flarepelt stammered. “I promise I will do my best to care for ThunderClan.” 

Almost everyone seemed to be at peace with the decision, dipping their heads respectfully to Flarepelt. It was a very strange sight for her, but at the same time, a bit thrilling. However, Batfang, Gorsepaw, and Burningwind had shuffled to the back of the crowd, murmuring amongst themselves and casting suspicious glances at their new leader.

Rosefall led Flarepelt back to the medicine den, where she prepared some traveling herbs for them both to eat before journeying to the Moonpool. Suddenly, Shadefire came into the den, followed by his and Flarestar’s kits. 

“StarClan was wise to choose you,” Shadefire purred, rubbing against Flarepelt. 

“Thank you,” Flarepelt murmured, resting her chin on her mate’s head. “I’m a little scared, but…I’ll do it, for all of you.”

“I think you’ll make a great leader, Mother,” said Patchpaw, blinking warmly. 

“And if anyone says otherwise, they’ll have to deal with me,” said Emberpaw, unsheathing her claws. 

“Are you really going to the Moonpool to get nine lives!?” Cricketpaw exclaimed.

Flarepelt nodded. “Rosefall and I are about to leave.” 

After the two sisters swallowed the mixture of traveling herbs, they walked towards the entrance of the camp, Shadefire and the apprentices following. 

“Hey,” said Sunstorm, walking over and giving Flarepelt an affectionate nudge. “I just came to say good luck.”

“Thank you,” said Flarepelt to her brother. “You and Shadefire watch over the Clan while we’re gone.”

“Will do,” Sunstorm promised. 

Flarepelt pressed her forehead against Shadefire’s and stared into his eyes for a long time. 

“You’ll do great. I know you will,” he purred.

Flarepelt looked over at her shoulder longingly at her mate and kits as she and Rosefall left the camp. She suddenly felt isolated from everyone she cared about as this great responsibility was laid upon her shoulders. When she came back, they would not be just be her friends and family—they would be her warriors, listening to her commands, prepared to go into battle at any moment on her word. Flarepelt's paws felt numb as she walked, feeling as though she was in some sort of bizarre dream.

_Is this really happening?_

As Flarepelt and Rosefall made their way to the Moonpool, dark clouds gathered overhead. A chilly breeze blew through their fur, and a few cold raindrops spattered the ground. The red light of sunset began to glow in the small gaps between the shadowy clouds. Flarepelt shuddered, feeling very afraid and alone all of a sudden. Rosefall brushed against her, purring soothingly to calm her sister as they treaded through the long grass of WindClan’s territory. They had to travel for quite a long way across the moor, but thankfully, no patrols appeared to challenge them. It was raining by the time the two cats got to the Moonpool. Flarepelt had never seen it before—she gasped when she saw the wide, open stony crater. 

“I didn’t think it would be this huge!” she cried. 

Rosefall led her towards the edge, and down a stony slope that led to the gently lapping pool below. Flarepelt was surprised to see paw print-like indents dotting the slope. 

“Those are the paw prints of ancient cats who have been here before,” said Rosefall. 

Flarepelt placed her paw into one of the imprints, hoping that these ancient cats would lend her some of their strength. The pool was situated in sort of a half cave that gave nice shelter from the weather. The area around the pool was strangely quiet, muffling the loud rain from outside. Flarepelt expected it to reflect the dark cloudy sky, but to her surprise it was clear and seemed to glow with a soft light. 

Rosefall approached the edge of the pool. “All you have to do is touch your muzzle to the water and you will go to sleep and wake up in StarClan,” she said. You won’t be able to see me, but I’ll be watching the ceremony.” 

Flarepelt looked back at her reflection in the water, noticing for the first time that the surface was gleaming with what looked like tiny stars. 

“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt,” Rosefall soothed. “Just follow my lead.” She placed her muzzle to the water, and immediately her eyes closed. Flarepelt lay beside her sister, took a deep breath, and touched the water. It was surprisingly icy cold—she tried to jerk away, but she felt as though the water were sucking her in, tugging into a dark, cold hole. Flarepelt yowled, but no sound came out. Her vision faded to black.


	15. Chapter 15

Flarepelt gasped and awoke in the middle of a clearing. She stood up, whirling around to look at her surroundings. 

_Wait a minute…I recognize this place…it’s the ThunderClan camp!_

Although, something was different about it than usual. She appeared to be the only cat in the ravine, and the air was filled with a strange, sparkling mist. Up above, the sky was pitch black, with giant, pulsing stars that seemed very close to the ground. Suddenly, the stars began to swirl, slowly lowering themselves down into the ravine. Flarepelt shrank back as they hit the ground and burst into new forms—it took her a minute to realize they were the pale outlines of cats. Soon, she was surrounded by a huge crowd of shimmering spirits. 

“Do not be afraid, Flarepelt.” That was Sapstar’s voice. Flarepelt looked around, but couldn’t see where he was. 

“StarClan welcomes you.” That voice came from a blue-gray she-cat nearby. Her voice was friendly and gentle. “Are you ready to receive your nine lives?”

Flarepelt gave a shaky nod. “I am.” 

The she-cat padded up to her. She seemed like a very old spirit, as she was paler than most of the others, and her voice sounded distant, as though it were being carried away by a wind as she spoke.

“I am Bluestar,” she said. “I was ThunderClan’s leader long ago.” 

Bluestar touched her nose to Flarepelt’s, who gasped at its solid, cold feel. 

“With this life, I give you confidence,” said Bluestar. “StarClan has chosen you to be ThunderClan’s leader because we believe that you can develop great trust in yourself. Let us help you.” 

Flarepelt cried out as a sudden spasm of pain wracked her body. It intensified quickly, tightening up all of her muscles and burning through her pelt like fire. Her cry turned into an agonized scream. Then, as quickly as it had come, the pain disappeared, and Bluestar walked away. 

_That was horrible!_ Flarepelt trembled, realizing she would have to go through eight more of these. 

Another cat came up to her, his orange coat gleaming like flames. Flarepelt gasped as she realized who he must be. 

“I’m glad that your kits enjoyed hearing stories of me so much,” Firestar purred as he walked up to her. He fixed her with a warm green gaze. “Do not be afraid. I know how overwhelmed you must feel—I also became leader at a young age. But do not worry—we will be here for you every step of the way.”

Firestar touched his nose to Flarepelt’s and said, “With this life, I give you justice. Stand up for cats that are weaker than you are, and fight for what you believe is right.” 

Flarepelt yowled again as an even more painful sensation shot through her body. She suddenly felt enraged, feeling tempted to sink her fangs into some unseen enemy’s throat, to claw its fur off and make it pay for some terrible thing it had done. Her vision went red as she screamed to the starry sky. And then, just like the other life, the feeling ended suddenly. 

Flarepelt gasped and shook as Firestar walked away. The next cat to come up to her was a dark red tom she didn’t recognize. For a moment she thought it was Redwing, but then she remembered that he was back in the real ThunderClan camp. 

“Hello, Flarepelt,” the tom rumbled. “You never met me, but I am your grandfather, Crimsonclaw. I died in battle long before you were born, but I have watched you grown into such a strong, passionate warrior. Now I am here to give you a life.”

Crimsonclaw touched his nose to Flarepelt’s and said, “With this life, I give you courage. You are already brave, but let me lend you a little bit more bravery s to help you protect your Clan mates.” 

Flarepelt eagerly received this life, even though it was even more painful than the other two. She felt as though a hundred claws and teeth were digging into her pelt. The air was filled with shrieks, and blood spattered everywhere. Suddenly, she thought she heard Patchpaw crying out. “Mama, help!” 

“I’m coming!” she gasped, shaking the invisible enemies off of her and desperately looking around for her son, all of her fear suddenly melting away. 

And then, she was back in the clearing again, facing Crimsonclaw. She let out a heavy sigh and sank down on her haunches as he walked away. She was so exhausted…could she really take six more lives? 

Flarepelt was startled as she recognized the next cat emerging from the crowd. It was Jumppaw! The young tom bounced over to her, his ginger fur dazzled with tiny stars. 

“With this life, I give you energy,” he said, craning his neck to touch Flarepelt’s nose. “You will definitely need some of it!”

Flarepelt’s whole body vibrated as the life surged through her. It felt as though there were flames dancing beneath her pelt, wanting to break free and burn through her skin. Just when she thought she would explode, the pain suddenly faded, and Jumppaw walked away. 

The next cat to come up was also someone Flarepelt knew. “Deerpelt!” she gasped.

The old medicine cat touched her nose to Flarepelt’s and said, “With this life, I give you endurance,” she said. “Being a leader is no easy task, but you will build up strength over time.” 

Flarepelt’s muscles tensed up so tightly that she couldn’t move or speak. She longed to cry out from the unbearable pain, but her jaw was clamped shut. Deerpelt’s amber eyes gazed at her, silently telling her to wait it out. Flarepelt did, and then, after what seemed like forever, her muscles relaxed, and she could breathe once more. 

The next cat to come up to her was Stonestorm. The sturdy gray tom gave Flarepelt a warm gaze with his pale blue eyes as he walked over. A pang of nostalgia gripped Flarepelt’s heart, as she remembered that he was Lichentail’s father, and how he used to watch the two of them train together as apprentices with a fond look on his face. 

“With this life, I give you patience,” he said as he touched noses with Flarepelt. “No matter how frustrating or hopeless things seem, they can always improve, as long as you have the strength to wait them out.” 

There was less pain in this life. A surge of confidence and calmness surged through Flarepelt like a cool river, ending in a gentle feeling of relief that made her sigh contently. 

Stonestorm gave her a nod. “You can do it,” he said, before disappearing back into the crowd of starry cats. 

Suddenly, a very familiar cat emerged, waving her long, bushy red tail as she gazed at Flarepelt with pride.

“Mother!” Flarepelt gasped as Oakflower came walking up to her, looking young and healthy. 

“Your father and I are so proud of you,” Oakflower whispered. 

Flarepelt breathed in the sweet scent of her mother once more, for a moment feeling like she was curled up in the nursery as a tiny kit again. 

“With this life, I give you gentleness,” said Oakflower as she touched noses with her daughter. “A leader needs to be fierce and strong, but also kind and understanding to those in need.” 

Flarepelt purred as a warm, glowing sensation grew in her chest, and her fur was ruffled by a soft breeze. 

“Thank you, Mother,” she whispered.

“I’ll be watching out for you,” said Oakflower, giving her daughter one last loving look before walking away. Then, as soon as she disappeared, Amberclaw emerged from the crowd. 

“Father!” Flarepelt cried. 

“Hello, my sweet daughter,” said Amberclaw warmly. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that your mother and I both get to give you a life.” 

Touching noses with Flarepelt, he said, “With this life, I give you charisma. Use it to connect with all your Clan mates, as well as any other cats you may encounter.” 

This life had a slight stinging sensation to it, but also came with a rush of pleasure, mixed with an energetic feeling that made Flarepelt’s fur stand up on end. She felt alert and open minded as her body absorbed the life. 

_All the cats from my past have come to see me,_ Flarepelt realized as Amberclaw walked away. Her heart thudded. There was one more life to receive—would Lichentail be giving it to her?

Her heart sank with a heavy disappointment as Sapstar appeared, but it quickly turned into joyous surprise. She couldn’t believe it—Sapstar looked like his old self again--in fact younger than Flarepelt had ever seen him--his muscles rippling under his sleek dark brown and golden fur, his head held at a confident level. Flarepelt bowed her head to her former leader as he stopped in front of her. 

“I am sorry I left ThunderClan so soon,” said Sapstar, dipping his head. “I never imagined I would die that way. But I believe that StarClan has made a wise choice—you will carry out my legacy.” 

He touched noses with Flarepelt and said, “With this life, I give you faith. Have faith in your warrior ancestors to guide you through dark times, for we will always be there when you need help. It is also important to have faith in yourself—you can accomplish more than you think you can.” 

This life hurt the worst—Flarepelt’s consciousness was consumed with red and black flashes, and the most horrific agony that she had ever felt—it was ten times worse than when she gave birth. She was completely paralyzed by the pain, unable to even scream. But then, all of a sudden, it ended, and Flarepelt was left with a very relieved and oddly happy feeling. 

“Flarepelt,” said Sapstar. “From this moment on, you are now Flarestar. StarClan is proud to present you with the guardianship of ThunderClan. Use all nine of your lives to defend the warrior code and care for your Clan mates.”

“Flarestar! Flarestar! Flarestar!” Every cat in the crowd began to chant the new leader’s name, echoing loud and clear all over the clearing. 

Flarestar purred. “Thank you, everyone,” she said. She searched the crowd, looking for Lichentail, but could not spot her old friend anywhere.

“Lichentail?” she called out. “Are you here?” 

She looked over at Stonestorm, wondering if he knew where his daughter was. He only gave Flarestar a strange smile. Suddenly, she saw something in the distance. There was a scene playing about before her, although she was still in the clearing; oddly, it was as if it was happening far away. She could see several cats running together through a forest, as if they were in a hurry to get somewhere. Was it a warrior patrol? Flarestar didn’t recognize their surroundings. Then, she saw a brief flash of a pale gray coat among the cats.

“Lichentail!?” she cried.

Suddenly, Flarestar was back in the stone hollow, staring down at her reflection in the water. 

“What did you say?” Rosefall was next to her again, staring concernedly at her sister.

“N-nothing,” said Flarestar. 

“Did you receive your nine lives?” Rosefall asked.

Flarestar nodded. “Oh, Rosefall, it was amazing! Guess who was there!”

“I saw,” said Rosefall, gently interrupting her. “At least, I watched from a distance. But you are to keep what happened to yourself—it is part of tradition.” 

Flarestar stood up, staring down at the pool. She could not believe anything that just happened, even though her body ached from all the lives that had been pumped into her. 

“It looks like the rain has let up,” said Rosefall. “Come on, Flarestar, let’s go home.”


	16. Chapter 16

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the two she-cats headed back to the forest. The wind buffeted their fur as they hiked through the long grass of the moorland. Thankfully, WindClan seemed to be taking shelter from the storm, for there was still no sign of them. 

“You’ll need to choose a deputy before Moonhigh,” Rosefall reminded Flarestar. 

“Who do you think I should pick?” she asked.

“That’s for you to decide,” said Rosefall as they reached the edge of the forest. “I’m not sure who I would pick, but I'd think it would a cat who I thought was level-headed and dependable.”

“I guess Lightstripe, maybe, or Sunstorm,” said Flarestar. Although privately, she had no idea who to pick—she trusted all the cats in ThunderClan…except maybe not Batfang or Gorsepaw. 

A sudden flash lit up the dark sky, followed by a bolt of lightning that streaked down just a few fox lengths away from the cats. A deafening boom made them both jump back,   
followed by a bush exploding into flames. 

“Oh, please, don’t spread to the rest of the territory!” Flarestar cried as the fire began to spread through the undergrowth, lighting up the shady forest. 

“Wait a minute!” Rosefall gasped, staring wide-eyed at the flames. “Flarestar…I…I think StarClan is trying to tell us something?”

“What!?” Flarestar exclaimed. 

“The deputy…fire….in the shade…” Rosefall breathed. “Flarestar…I think…they’re saying that Shadefire should be deputy!” 

Flarestar was at a loss for words—she stared at the bright orange flames flickering against the shadows...indeed, it did remind her of her mate’s ginger splash on his black chest. And then suddenly, the sky opened, and sheets of rain came pouring down. The flames were quickly extinguished, turning into a hazy smoke. 

“Right,” said Flarestar, shaking her head to keep focused. “Let’s hurry back to camp.” 

When Flarestar and Rosefall entered the camp, Shadefire came running straight for them, the rain sliding off his slick black pelt as he slid into his mate, covering her in nuzzles and licks. 

“You did it!” he cried. “You’re Flarestar now!” 

The rest of ThunderClan, who were taking shelter in the dens, poked their heads out, venturing out into the downpour congratulate their new leader. 

“Flarestar! Flarestar!” they yowled. Cricketpaw jumped high in the air, yelling her mother’s name the loudest. 

“Thank you all,” said Flarestar. She leaned over to Shadefire, muttering in his ear, “Come with me to the leader’s den. I have something to tell you.” 

Shadefire followed his mate up the pile of rocks that led up to the Highledge, and into the leader’s den. Flarestar shook the rainwater from her coat and surveyed Sapstar’s old den, feeling startled as she suddenly realized it was her den now. She welcomed the warm, dry air inside. 

“Shadefire,” she said quietly, turning to face her mate. She explained the sign that she and Rosefall had seen. 

“We think it means you’re meant to be deputy,” Flarestar whispered. “Is…is that okay with you?”

Shadefire’s jaw dropped. For a moment, he seemed unable to speak. Seeing the bewildered look in her mate’s eyes, she was about to tell him not to worry about it, but then he said, “Yes, of course! I’ll be your deputy!” His eyes shone with delight as he rubbed his cheek against Flarestar’s. “I want to help you watch over ThunderClan.”

“Thank you,” Flarestar sighed happily, burying her muzzle into Shadefire’s shoulder. “When the rain lets up, we’ll announce it to the Clan.” 

 

“I say these words before the spirits of our warrior ancestors, so that they may hear and approve of my choice!” Flarestar yowled from the top of the Highledge, staring down at the Clan gathered below. The rain had finally stopped, and the clouds had parted, revealing a nearly full moon that lit the camp up with silver light. Shadefire sat at the front of the crowd, barely able to contain himself as he waited for Flarestar to give the announcement. 

“The new deputy of ThunderClan will be Shadefire!” 

Surprised gasps rang out from the crowd, although to Flarestar’s relief, most of them sounded pleasant. 

“Yes! Yes! My father is the deputy!” Cricketpaw cried, falling over in excitement. 

“I think you’ve made a wise choice,” said Silverlily. Next to her, Lightstripe nodded in agreement. “Congratulations, Shadefire,” he said warmly. 

“Hold on a minute!” that came from Burningwind, who was slowly lashing his tail and staring up at Flarestar suspiciously. 

“First you claim that you’re the leader, and now your mate is your deputy?” Burningwind narrowed his eyes. “Seems awfully convenient for you.”

Batfang and Gorsepaw both nodded in agreement. 

“Shadefire’s too young,” said Burningwind. “Why not pick someone more qualified, like my father?”

“Burningwind, show her some respect,” Lightstripe gave his son a warning growl. 

“StarClan showed me and Rosefall a sign as we were traveling home,” explained Flarestar. “A bolt of lightning struck a bush in a shady area and set it on fire.” 

Burningwind snorted. “Yeah, right.” 

“Well like it or not, I am your leader now, and Shadefire is your deputy.” Flarestar unsheathed her claws and fixed the defiant young warrior with a steady glare. “If anyone has a problem with this, then feel free to leave ThunderClan.” 

Burningwind opened his mouth, as if to say something else, but then looked down at the ground. 

“Swifthawk should have been deputy,” Gorsepaw growled. “It was his destiny.” 

“Things don’t always work out the way we think they will,” said Redwing gently, coming to sit beside his daughter. What was left of his eyes seemed to be healing nicely, thanks to Rosefall, but Flarestar still felt a great stab of pity for the former deputy. 

Gorsepaw curled her lip at Flarestar. Next to her, Batfang was twitching his tail, his yellow eyes narrowed into angry slits. 

Suddenly, an idea came to Flarestar about how to satisfy these troubling cats. 

“Gorsepaw,” she spoke. “You fought courageously in the battle against RiverClan, and you’ve trained for many moons. I think it’s about time you were made a warrior.”

“Wh-what!?” Gorsepaw’s hostile expression faded into one of surprise. 

“Now that’s something I’m happy to hear,” growled Batfang. He turned to his apprentice and bumped her head with his. “Go and get your warrior name, then. You’ve earned it!” 

Gorsepaw climbed up to the Highledge, her amber eyes gleaming with anticipation. As much as Flarestar disliked the arrogant, aggressive she-cat, she knew this would smooth things over with her at least for the time being. She also felt a flicker of relief, knowing that Gorsepaw would no longer be training roughly with her kits. 

“Gorsepaw,” said Flarestar. “From this moment on, you will be known as Gorseflower. StarClan honors your fearlessness and passion, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan.”

Flarestar briefly touched her chin to the top of Gorseflower’s head. The new warrior licked Flarestar’s shoulder as part of the ritual, and then stepped back, for once looking bashful. 

“Th-thank you!” she sputtered. 

“Gorseflower! Gorseflower!” the Clan cheered. Although Redwing no longer had eyes, his face was clearly beaming with pride for his daughter. 

Flarestar was about to dismiss everyone, when suddenly, Silverlily spoke up. 

“I know tonight has been overwhelming, but I think I should share some good news, after so much tragedy has occurred,” she said. “Lightstripe and I are expecting kits!” 

“Whoa!” Cricketpaw shrieked. “Congratulations!” 

“That is amazing news!” Flarestar agreed, barely able to contain her own excitement. 

Silverlily and Lightstripe’s eyes shone happily as everyone came over to congratulate them. However, Flarestar’s happiness was tinged with sadness. 

_Lichentail...you were an only kit, you would have been so excited that your mother is having more,_ she thought. Suddenly, Flarestar remembered the strange vision she’d received at her nine lives ceremony. 

_Where are you, Lichentail? Are you still alive? Why won’t you come home?_


	17. Chapter 17

Flarestar’s chest tightened as she neared the island, which illuminated by the full light of the moon. She could already see outlines of cats. It was the first Gathering since the battle with RiverClan. How would the other Clans respond to her being leader? She took a deep breath and kept walking across the fallen tree, her warriors following behind. As they reached the shore, Shadefire fell in stride with her. Even with him at her side, Flarestar felt fear prickling through her pelt as they walked into the clearing. She looked up to the great tree where all the leaders addressed the Clans. The other three were already sitting up there. At first Flarestar thought that Coldstar’s usual branch was empty, but then she saw the distinct blue and green eyes of the RiverClan deputy Splitgaze gleaming in the shade of the tree, her black fur making her nearly invisible in the night. Flarestar realized she must be Splitstar now. The dark furred leader stepped out further on the branch and into the light as Flarestar approached the tree. The deputies were gathered around the base of the trunk as usual—between Slickpelt of WindClan and Flamewing of ShadowClan sat Graydusk. Coldstar’s daughter narrowed her eyes and curled her lip as Flarestar and Shadefire approached. 

“So, who are you?” she growled, staring them down with cold, steely blue eyes. Flarestar took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was a leader now, and she couldn’t let Graydusk intimidate her. 

“I’m Flarestar,” she said. “I’m ThunderClan’s new leader. This is my deputy, Shadefire.”

“I see,” said Graydusk, her lip still curled. “Well, I’m RiverClan’s new deputy. We are still strong, even after losing Coldstar and two other cats to your cowardly attack. I wouldn’t recommend trying it again.” 

“We do not intend to carry this conflict further,” said Flarestar, dipping her head respectfully to Graydusk. “Congratulations on becoming deputy.” 

“Ha, you two are the new leader and deputy? You barely look older than apprentices,” Flamewing sneered. Slickpelt purred with amusement. Flarestar ignored them and leapt up on the trunk of the tree, scrambling upwards. She looked down at Shadefire, feeling sorry for her mate as he sat away from the three other deputies, who leered at him and mumbled to each other. 

“Sorry, apprentices aren’t allowed up here,” said Scorchstar as Flarestar hauled herself up on a branch. The dark ginger tom’s eyes flickered mockingly. 

“Then you better climb down,” Flarestar growled. She felt a slight surge of satisfaction as Scorchstar’s jaw dropped at her retort—now that she was a leader, and equal with him, she could stand up to the ShadowClan leader’s taunts. “I am Flarestar of ThunderClan,” she said proudly. 

“Let’s hope you have better sense than Sapstar.” Splitstar was looking at her, her different colored eyes narrowed to slits. “If we see any of you ThunderClan cats near our territory again, you will sorely regret it.” 

“Sapstar may have resented RiverClan for what happened to Swifthawk, but I do not,” said Flarestar, bowing her head. “Let this be a new, peaceful era between the both of us.” 

“It better be,” Splitstar growled. 

Scorchstar let out an impatient yowl, signaling for the Gathering to start. After he and Olivestar spoke, Splitstar walked to the end of her branch to address the Clans. 

“I am now Splitstar, the new leader of RiverClan,” said the black she-cat. “Coldstar lost his last life in a battle with ThunderClan.” She turned to Flarestar, her voice turning icy as she glared at the other leader. 

“The ThunderClan warrior Swifthawk trespassed on our territory and attacked our medicine cat apprentice, Pebblecreek. No one knows why he did this, but we killed him. ThunderClan refused to believe us when we told them what Swifthawk did, and they launched a vicious attack. During the battle, Redwing pinned Coldstar down and ripped his throat out.” Splitstar’s voice grew thick. “However, Graydusk, our new deputy, managed to avenge her father by slashing Redwing’s eyes until he could no longer see.” 

Shocked murmurs and gasps rippled through the crowd below. The RiverClan and ThunderClan cats were bristling and exchanging glares and hisses. Over where the medicine cats sat, Pebblecreek trembled and ducked behind Fernlight. 

“Also lost in the battle were Shinyfur and his apprentice Rockpaw,” said Splitstar. “It was far too soon for either of them to join StarClan, and we will miss them dearly.” She gave Flarestar another menacing glare, and then slowly stepped back to let Flarestar speak. Flarestar walked to the end of her branch, trying to keep her paws from trembling. She looked down at the crowd, receiving hostile stares from RiverClan and surprised and wary looks from ShadowClan and WindClan, but her own warriors’ looks were warm and encouraging. She saw Patchpaw sitting with his sisters, looking straight as her and giving his mother a nod. 

Flarestar took a deep breath and said, “I am Flarestar, ThunderClan’s new leader. Everything Splitstar has said is true. None of us know what Swifthawk was doing in RiverClan’s territory, or why he attacked Pebblecreek. He was acting alone, not on orders. As ThunderClan’s leader, I apologize for his behavior.”

Angry yowls rang out from Batfang and Gorseflower below. Flarestar ignored them and continued. 

“Sapstar was hesitant to launch an attack on RiverClan, but Redwing insisted on avenging his son. During the battle, Coldstar knocked Sapstar into the river, where he drowned and lost his last three lives. That is why Redwing killed Coldstar. It was a tragedy for both our Clans, and I hope that we can heal and move on. I do not intend on carrying this conflict with RiverClan any further. We have both suffered too many losses.”

Suddenly, the RiverClan cats fell quiet. Their fur was flattening, and their hostile gazes were softening, although a few warriors still looked quite angry. A sense of relief flooded Flarestar—she’d managed to calm them down! 

“Anyways, after Sapstar was killed and Redwing was blinded, Rosefall received a message from StarClan saying that I was destined to be the next leader,” she said. “Shadefire is our new deputy. We are both young, as some of you have been quick to point out, but we are not weak. We plan on keeping ThunderClan strong after this hard time, and as long as we are left alone, we will stay peaceful.” 

“As long as you keep your word, we will stay peaceful as well,” said Splitstar. Her hard voice had softened slightly. 

“Thank you,” said Flarestar, dipping her head as she stepped back.

“Flarestar! Flarestar!” Some of the ThunderClan warriors began chanting her name below. To her surprise, they were joined in by a some cats from other Clans, including a few from RiverClan. She looked up at Silverpelt, where the stars seemed to be shining especially bright tonight. And then, suddenly, she thought she could hear Sapstar’s voice faintly whispering in her ear. 

_Well done, Flarestar._


	18. Chapter 18

“Whoa! I can see all of the forest from here!” Cricketpaw cried from high up in a tree. 

“Be careful!” Icefeather called up to her. 

“I will!” Cricketpaw called back down.

Flarestar purred with amusement. She’d been leader for a few moons now. Cricketpaw had become an expert at tree climbing, and at hunting and fighting as well. Silverlily was very close to kitting, so Icefeather had taken over Cricketpaw’s training. Her own kits were now apprentices as well; Flarestar was mentoring Morningpaw, while Sleetfall had been assigned to mentor Dewpaw. All the apprentices were practicing in the training clearing this late greenleaf afternoon. Flarestar watched as Morningpaw and Dewpaw exchanged blows with sheathed claws. 

“Dewpaw, remember the downward swipe move I showed you!” Sleetfall called out to her apprentice.

Dewpaw dodged her sister’s paw, and then brought her own paw down across Morningpaw’s ear. 

“You’d be wounded now!” Dewpaw told her. “You have to rear back!” 

“No I don’t!” said Morningpaw. She lunged at her sister, playfully wrestling her into a patch of dandelions. Dewpaw retaliated, quickly grabbing Morningpaw and pinning her down on her back. 

“Morningpaw, use your hind feet!” Flarestar told her apprentice. 

Morningpaw kicked her hind paws into Dewpaw’s stomach, sending her flying off. Morningpaw sprang onto her sister. The two of them rolled around, laughing as they gave each other pretend bites and scratches. 

Flarestar purred. She knew training was supposed to be serious, but these two were still quite young, and deserved to have fun while they still could. She watched proudly from across the clearing as she watched Emberpaw and Patchpaw have their own mock battle. Patchpaw had grown quite big and strong. He knocked Emberpaw off his back, flinging her into a bush. No longer was he the timid little kit who hardly left Flarestar’s side. Sunstorm had been patient with him, and slowly brought out Patchpaw’s courage. 

Flarestar sighed contentedly. So far, things were going smoothly for ThunderClan. She silently thanked StarClan that they hadn’t had any trouble with the other Clans since she became leader. Suddenly, a startled gasp came from Cricketpaw up in the tree. “There are ShadowClan warriors on our territory!” she cried. 

“I spoke too soon,” Flarestar mumbled to herself and then called out orders.

“Everyone, follow me! Apprentices, stay close to your mentors. Let’s go confront these pests!” 

Morningpaw bounded up to her mentor’s side as Flarestar led her warriors in the direction of the ShadowClan border. Sleetfall, Sunstorm, Icefeather, and Lightstripe followed with their apprentices. They quickly picked up the reek of ShadowClan warriors, and spotted a patrol of them by the dirt path that Twolegs sometimes used. 

“Flamewing!” Flarestar snarled, spotting the deputy. The ginger she-cat smirked, curling her lip to reveal her fangs. 

“Why Flarestar, what brings you here?” she purred silkily. 

“What are you doing on our territory?” Flarestar demanded. 

“What does it look like? We’re hunting,” said Flamewing. Her arrogant head tilt reminded Flarestar of Scorchstar, who was her father. “There’s Twolegs active in our territory, and they’re scaring off the prey. So we’re just…borrowing some prey from your territory. Got to keep ShadowClan fed, you know?”

Flarestar lashed her tail, unsheathing her claws. “You need to leave _now!_ ” she yowled. 

“Or what?” Flamewing narrowed her eyes tauntingly. “Your army of puny apprentices will attack? You know you’re too weak to stop us, since half your warriors have died.” 

Flarestar yowled and sprung at Flamewing, colliding with the ShadowClan deputy and pinning her to the ground, sinking her claws deep beneath her orange pelt. Flamewing spat and twisted under Flarestar’s grip, raking her hind claws across her opponent’s stomach. Flarestar ignored the pain and sank her teeth into Flamewing’s shoulder, biting deeply. Suddenly, a white blur went streaking towards Flarestar, and she was knocked off of Flamewing. She rolled and came to a stop, looking up to see a warrior called Nojaw. He was well known by all the Clans, because his lower jaw was entirely missing. His face was a hideous mess—his tongue and fangs hung out of his open mouth, his flesh was crisscrossed with thick scars, and his yellow eyes gleamed venomously. 

“Get away from my mentor!” Morningpaw came rushing over and slashed at Nojaw’s shoulder, clawing away a tuft of white fur. Nojaw gazed silently at her, seeming amused, and then sprang at the apprentice. Flarestar jumped between them and collided with Nojaw, crying out as his incredibly sharp claws pierced through her skin. She bit at his shoulder, trying to get him to let go, but he hung on tightly. Suddenly, Emberpaw appeared, leaping up and biting down hard on Nojaw’s ear. He let out a distorted yowl from his damaged mouth, releasing Flarestar and turning on the apprentice. Cricketpaw and Patchpaw came running up from behind Nojaw, clinging to his back. The ShadowClan warrior lashed out and slashed at Emberpaw with his long claws. She shrieked and fell over, blood spraying up from her side. Flarestar ran to her kit, but all of a sudden, Emberpaw sprang up, ignoring her injury and flinging herself once more at Nojaw.

Flarestar looked around for her other Clan mates. Icefeather and Sunstorm were fighting Flamewing and a black tom. Sleetfall was slashing at the heels of a fleeing golden tabby she-cat, while Lightstripe grappled with a spotted tom. Morningpaw and Dewpaw were facing off an apprentice twice their size. The brown tabby tom bowled Dewpaw over, only to be smacked upside the jaw with a powerful kick from her hind legs. He turned and fled as the two sisters chased him towards the border. 

With an enraged screech, Flamewing tore away from Lightstripe and took off running towards the ShadowClan border, her ginger fur spattered with blood. Nojaw and the other two warriors followed her. Sunstorm and Lightstripe ran after the intruders, hissing viciously.

“ThunderClan warriors, retreat!” Flarestar ordered them. 

“Did you see us!?” Morningpaw cried as she and Dewpaw ran up to her. 

“Yes, you fought very well, Morningpaw!” Flarestar praised her apprentice. “You too, Dewpaw.” 

“Those scoundrels better have learned their lesson!” Lightstripe hissed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “Flamewing is just as fox hearted as her father!” 

“Emberpaw, are you okay?” Flarestar hurried over to Emberpaw, who was bleeding heavily from her side. Patchpaw and Cricketpaw were supporting her. 

“I’m more than okay.” Emberpaw’s eyes gleamed victoriously. “I just fought off Nojaw!”

“Hey, we helped you!” Cricketpaw exclaimed. 

“I thought Nojaw was just a legend,” said Patchpaw incredulously. “I didn’t think a cat could live without a jaw!” 

“I heard from a ShadowClan apprentice that he lost it when he was attacked by a dog,” said Morningpaw. “He has to have all his food chewed up for him, and his sharp claws make up for his inability to bite.” 

“They definitely do,” Emberpaw groaned, licking at the long welts on her side. 

“All of you did beautifully,” said Flarestar. “Let’s get back to camp.” 

 

When they returned to the ravine, Shadefire came running up concernedly to his kits, who excitedly told their father what happened. 

“We fought Nojaw!” Cricketpaw cried. “Emberpaw bit him really hard and made him yowl!” 

“Nojaw?” Shadefire gasped. “He’s so fierce! You weren’t afraid of him?”

“Nope!” Cricketpaw shook her head. “He’s no match for ThunderClan!” 

“All the apprentices fought beautifully today,” said Flarestar. She eyed her three kits and said, “It’s a bit too early for you three to become warriors, but I think soon we might hold evaluations for you!” 

The siblings exchanged excited glances, quivering excitedly. 

“Alright, Emberpaw, let’s get you to the medicine den,” said Shadefire, wrapping his tail around his daughter’s shoulders. 

Rosefall suddenly emerged from over by the nursery, hurrying over to the returning patrol when she saw their injuries. 

“ShadowClan invaders,” Flarestar explained quickly. 

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that something good happened while you were away,” said Rosefall as she examined the claw marks on Emberpaw’s flank. With shining eyes, she said, “Lightstripe, your new son and daughter were born!” 

Lightstripe became a light brown blur as he streaked across the camp, plunging straight into the nursery. 

“Is Silverlily doing okay?” Icefeather asked nervously. “She’s a bit old to be having kits.” 

“She’s fine,” Rosefall reassured her. “Her kits are beautiful!” 

“Oh, I want to see them!” Cricketpaw cried. 

“First come with me to the medicine den,” said Rosefall, noting a bleeding scratch on Cricketpaw’s shoulder. “Let’s fix up everyone’s wounds, and then you can all go visit the newest members of ThunderClan.” 

Flarestar and the rest of the patrol sat around the entrance of the medicine den, all waiting for their scratches and bites to be treated. She craned her neck, trying to reach the painful claw marks that Flamewing had left on her stomach. The apprentices were all eagerly telling Rosefall about the battle as she tended to their wounds. 

“Nojaw was crying like a little kit when I sent him running,” Emberpaw snickered. 

“No he wasn’t!” said Cricketpaw. “He doesn’t make much noise.” 

“No, it’s true, I swear!” Emberpaw told Rosefall. The medicine cat nodded. “It sounds like you were very brave.” 

After Rosefall had applied herbs to Flarestar’s wounds, she and Cricketpaw went to see the new kits. 

“Hello,” Lightstripe purred warmly as they entered the nursery. “Come to see the little ones?” He was tenderly licking Silverlily’s head as he cast a loving gaze at the two fuzzy bundles suckling at her stomach. One was a light brown tabby just like Lightstripe, and the other was a pale gray tabby.

“They’re so cute!” Cricketpaw squealed. 

“They’re lovely,” Flarestar purred. 

“Thank you,” said Silverlily. “The brown one is a tom—we’ve named him Hazelkit. The gray one is a she-cat, and we’ve named her Cloverkit.”

“Those are great names,” Cricketpaw whispered, gazing at the kits adoringly. “Oh, I can’t wait until I have kits!” 

“You’re a little too young for that,” said Flarestar, teasingly swatting her daughter with her tail. 

Silverlily’s green eyes grew sad. “I hope Lichentail can see them from StarClan,” she said quietly. “She was the only kit in my first litter—she’d be so excited to finally have siblings.”

Flarestar suddenly remembered the strange sight that StarClan had showed her, and wondered once again where Lichentail really was.   
She left the nursery when others crowded around outside to see the kits, shooing Cricketpaw away. 

“Bye, little ones,” the black she-cat whispered. 

Flarestar headed back over to the medicine den. 

“Cricketpaw is in love with the kits,” she purred to Rosefall. “Maybe when she’s a warrior, I ought to have her mentor one of them.” 

“That sounds like a good idea,” the medicine cat agreed. “She’s become such an intelligent, passionate young cat.” 

Flarestar dropped her voice to a quiet murmur. “Hey, Rosefall? Can I talk to you about something?”

“What’s wrong?” her sister asked concernedly.

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just….I saw something strange at the ceremony, after I got my nine lives,” said Flarestar. “I know I’m not supposed to talk about it, but…Lichentail wasn’t there. I thought for sure she would give me one of my lives. When I asked StarClan where she was, I saw this strange sight.”

“What do you mean?” Rosefall whispered. 

“I saw a group of cats that looked like they were far away…and there was a pale gray one among them,” she said. “I…I think Lichentail might still be alive.”

Rosefall’s eyes grew huge. “Are you sure?” she gasped. “If she survived the tunnel caving in, why didn’t she return to camp?” 

“I have no idea,” said Flarestar. “StarClan didn’t tell me what the vision meant.” 

“That’s so strange,” Rosefall murmured. “But if Lichentail is alive, at least she isn’t alone.” 

“Why would she leave?” Flarestar wondered out loud. “She and Swifthawk were in love.” 

“Um…I’m not so sure about that,” said Rosefall slowly. 

“Huh!?” Flarestar exclaimed. “What do you mean?”

“Well, to be honest, I noticed Lichentail was acting very strangely after she discovered she was expecting kits,” said Rosefall. “She seemed to be sick all the time, and came into the medicine den frequently. She was very bad tempered, especially anytime Swfithawk was mentioned. When Deerpelt told her she was going to have kits, she didn’t even want to tell him at first.” 

Memories of Lichentail’s last few moons in ThunderClan came rushing back to Flarestar, suddenly clearer than before. She remembered the drastic change in Lichentail’s personality—her optimistic, outgoing friend had suddenly become nasty tempered and withdrawn, and now that Flarestar thought about it…she seemed to avoid Swifthawk in particular.

“But why would she have kits with him when she wasn’t in love with him?” Flarestar frowned. 

“I don’t know,” said Rosefall. “Sometimes when a she-cat is in heat, their judgment is…well, clouded.” 

“I guess that’s what must have happened,” mumbled Flarestar. She sighed. “I hope wherever she is, she’s happy.” 

Although she brushed it off, a cold, dark feeling crept into the corner of her mind. Why exactly had Swifthawk become so angry and frustrated after Lichentail disappeared? What had made him attack Pebblecreek, if what the RiverClan warriors said was true? 

_Lichentail...perhaps I should have been there for you more,_ Flarestar thought worriedly.


	19. Chapter 19

“Patchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend ThunderClan, even at the cost of your life?”

The young black and white cat nodded. “I do,” he said solemnly, his amber eyes filled with confidence.

“Then from this moment on, you will be known as Patchwhisker,” said Flarepelt, her heart exploding with pride as she renamed her son. “StarClan honors your kindness and sincerity, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan.”

She rested her chin on top of Patchwhisker’s head. He licked his mother’s shoulder respectfully, and then stepped back to stand with his sisters, who had just been named Cricketleap and Emberstorm. 

“Cricketleap! Emberstorm! Patchwhisker!” the Clan cried out. Shadefire jumped up on the Highledge and swept his three kits close to him with his tail. “I’m so proud of all of you!” he purred. 

The three apprentices had passed their warrior’s evaluations with flying colors. They stood proudly before their parents, their eyes shining brightly in the moonlight. Down below, the Clan continued to cheer for the new warriors. Hazelkit and Cloverkit, now a moon old, sat between Silverlily and Lightstripe, staring up at the Highledge, their little eyes wide and filled with amazement. Hazelkit had a bright amber gaze, while Cloverkit had green eyes like her mother.

Burningwind sat a ways from Lightstripe, casting a glare in his father’s direction. Flarestar frowned. The young warrior didn’t seem very thrilled about Lightstripe having new kits. He’d only visited his half-siblings in the nursery once, and he acted aloof and cold whenever Lightstripe tried to talk to him. Flarestar wondered what was troubling Burningwind so much—perhaps he resented his father for taking another mate just a few moons after his mother died. 

After the ceremony, everyone headed into their dens to get some sleep while the three new warriors sat vigil in the middle of the camp. Shadefire came to visit Flarestar in the leader’s den.

“I’m so proud of our kits,” he purred.

“I am too,” Flarestar agreed. “Especially Patchwhisker.” 

“Sunstorm really helped him find his confidence,” said Shadefire. 

“Yes he did,” said Flarestar, curling up beside her mate. “But you did, too.” 

“And so did you,” said Shadefire, giving her a tender lick on the head. 

 

“Gotcha!” Cloverkit leaped up and grabbed the end of Cricketleap’s tail. The black she-cat was sitting outside the nursery, playing with Hazelkit and Cloverkit while Lightstripe was on patrol and Silverlily went to stretch her legs. 

Hazelkit turned away, spotting a butterfly. He chased it, trying to jump up and catch it with its tiny paws. He mewed in dismay as it fluttered high up towards the top of the ravine. 

“The bird got away,” he said sadly. 

“That wasn’t a bird, that was a butterfly,” Cricketleap purred. “Maybe next time you’ll have better luck.”

“Butterfly,” Hazelkit sounded out the new word. He suddenly spotted a dandelion, and pawed at the little golden plant. “What’s this?” he asked Cricketleap.

“It’s a flower, you mousebrain!” Cloverkit came running over and tackled her brother playfully. Flarepelt watched them fondly from the Highledge. The two of them were both very curious, and quite talkative for kits only a moon old.

Flarepelt spotted Burningwind nearby, glowering towards the kits. He walked over to the fresh kill pile, choosing a robin and sitting down to share it with Sleetfall. Flarepelt angled her ears to catch their conversation. 

“Hazelkit and Cloverkit are getting big already,” Sleetfall noted. Burningwind only grunted as he bit into the robin.

“What’s wrong?” Sleetfall asked him. “Ever since they were born, you’ve been acting all grumpy. I thought you’d be excited to become an older brother.”

“I don’t like kits,” Burningwind mumbled. “They’re annoying.”

“What’s really wrong?” Sleetfall pressed, placing a comforting paw on top of Burningwind’s. He drew it away. 

“It’s like my father has forgotten about my mother and I,” he snapped. “He never pays attention to me anymore—it’s all about those stupid kits nowadays, and Silverlily. He went after her right after my mother died. He doesn’t seem to remember how loyal Duskfeather was to him.” 

“Oh, Burningwind,” said Sleetfall softly. “Both your father and Silverlily were hurting after the loss of their mates. Being together helped heal their pain.” 

“Whatever,” Burningwind snorted, turning away from Sleetfall. 

Flarestar’s heart sank—her suspicions were true, then. Burningwind did resent his father for taking another mate. Being the leader, she felt that she should do something to help this conflict, but at the same time it wasn’t really her business. She hoped that eventually Burningwind’s anger would pass, and he would get along with Lightstripe again. 

 

“I got it, Flarestar!” 

Morningpaw was chasing after a rabbit. She reached out and clawed its haunch, but it kept running straight ahead. 

“Watch out!” Flarestar called to her apprentice. “You’re about to go over the WindClan border!” 

Morningpaw skidded to a halt and watched in dismay as the rabbit escaped and disappeared behind a hill. 

“I almost had it!” she groaned. 

“Rabbits are pretty fast,” said Flarestar. “They’re some of the hardest prey to catch. But you got close.” 

Suddenly, Morningpaw’s gray and ginger fur spiked up. “Flarestar, I smell WindClan cats!” she cried. “They’ve been here recently!”

Flarestar came over and sure enough, caught a very strong scent of WindClan leading over the border and trailing into the forest.

“They’re on our territory!” Flarestar growled. “Morningpaw, go find Shadefire’s patrol, and tell them to come over here!” 

Suddenly, Flarestar caught the flash of a gray pelt between the bushes. 

“Come out, Slickpelt!” she snapped. “I know you’re there!” 

The WindClan deputy stepped out of the bushes, his yellow eyes gleaming tauntingly. 

“Get out of our territory,” said Flarestar through gritted teeth, lashing her tail. 

“Heh, well I hate to tell you this, but you’re far outnumbered,” said Slickpelt, arrogantly sitting down and licking his paw. 

Suddenly, several other cats emerged from the undergrowth—Flarestar was startled to see both WindClan _and_ ShadowClan warriors.

“What’s going on!?” she demanded. 

“Our Clans are hungry,” said Flamewing, coming to stand beside Slickpelt. “We’re going to make sure they’re fed no matter what. Your Clan has more prey than it needs, so we’re going to hunt here.” 

“No you’re not!” Flarestar snarled. “Morningpaw, find Shadefire’s patrol!”

Morningpaw ran to leave, but was suddenly blocked by two sturdy ShadowClan warriors. 

“You’re not going anywhere,” Flamewing leered. “Warriors, attack!” 

Flarestar and Flamewing flew at each other just as they did last time, rolling across the clearing in a whirling ball of ginger and white. Morningpaw shrieked as a ShadowClan warrior clawed at her haunch.

“Morningpaw, fight!” Flarestar yowled from underneath Flamewing. “Show them what I’ve taught you!” 

Morningpaw stood there trembling for a second, and then jumped at the ShadowClan tom that had attacked her, gripping his neck with her forelegs and biting down hard on his shoulder. The tom yowled and collapsed to the ground. Morningpaw battered his stomach with her hind legs. Suddenly, the scene was blocked from Flarestar’s view by Flamewing’s snarling face. Flarestar pushed at the ShadowClan deputy’s chest, trying to heave her off. 

“Let’s see if StarClan really did give you nine lives!” Flamewing hissed, and dove towards Flarestar’s neck with fangs outstretched. Suddenly, a blur of gray and ginger flew at Flamewing, knocking her off of Flarestar. Morningpaw stood protectively in front of her mentor, her fur bristling as she snarled at the ShadowClan deputy.

“Ha! You’re strong, for a puny little thing,” Flamewing sneered. “I didn’t know ThunderClan was training kits nowadays.” 

“I’m seven moons old!” Morningpaw yowled defiantly. 

“Oh yeah? You still look like a stupid baby kit,” a golden tabby she-cat with black stripes came to Flamewing's side, curling her lip and sneering. Both she and Flamewing dove at Morningpaw.

“No!” Flarestar screeched, shielding her apprentice’s body with her own. She felt both opponents slam into her, their fangs digging deep into her shoulder and neck. Blood sprayed across her pelt as she was knocked to the ground, her vision filled with claws and a whirl of ginger and golden fur. 

Suddenly, she heard a furious yowl from nearby.

_Shadefire!_

Flamewing and her companion stopped attacking Flarestar and turned their heads as a ThunderClan patrol came hurtling towards them. The sounds of snarling and screeching grew distant as a steady ringing sound echoed in Flarestar’s ears. She was aware of blood from the scruff of her neck pooling into the grass beneath her. Suddenly, a familiar cry snapped her back into awareness.

“Cricketleap!” Flarestar jumped to her paws and charged at a snarling WindClan tabby that had her daughter pinned down. She sank her teeth into the tabby’s foreleg, causing him to rear up and let go of Cricketleap, who slithered away like a snake and tore a chunk out of the tabby’s ear. He wailed and went running towards WindClan’s territory. 

Flarestar looked around, seeing Morningpaw fighting the gold and black tabby with Dewpaw at her side. Sleetfall and Burningwind were facing off with Nojaw, swiftly dodging blows from his thorn sharp claws. Sunstorm was fighting Slickpelt, while Shadefire was grappling with Flamewing.

“Dewpaw!” Morningpaw shrieked as suddenly, a small WindClan tom struck her sister across the flank, sending her sprawling in the grass. Enraged, Morningpaw sprang at him, and the two of them went rolling, sending clumps of grass and fur flying everywhere. Flarestar was feeling dizzy, her vision starting to blur, but then she heard an ear piercing screech from Shadefire. She ran over to her mate, who was struggling under Flamewing. The ShadowClan deputy was biting down hard on his shoulder, causing blood to spray out across the grass. In a flash, Flarestar was there, clamping her teeth down on Flamewing’s ear. She pulled hard, coming away with a chunk of it. Flamewing screamed, jumping off of Shadefire and shaking her head around as blood spurted from her torn ear.

“RETREAT!” she yowled.

The ShadowClan warriors raced into the forest, heading back towards their territory, while WindClan fled towards the moor. Flarestar suddenly spotted Morningpaw chasing the small WindClan tom in the distance. He disappeared into one of the tunnel; Morningpaw followed him, snarling. Suddenly, the ground above the tunnel began to quiver. 

“No!” Flarestar gasped. “Not again! Morningpaw!” 

Her shriek faded as she suddenly collapsed to the ground in a puddle of her own blood. Everything went black.


	20. Chapter 20

“Flarestar, wake up.” 

Flarestar blinked, hearing a faint voice whisper her name. She pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing as her sore muscles cramped up. She was back in the ThunderClan clearing, surrounded by the silvery shapes of StarClan cats.

“You’ve lost your first life.” Amberclaw was standing before her, his amber eyes soft with sympathy for his daughter. 

“Morningpaw!” Flarestar gasped, suddenly remembering her apprentice. “She’s in trouble!” 

“She’s alive, for now,” said Amberclaw. “When you go back, you’ll need to hurry. She’s trapped, and will run out of air soon.” 

“Please, send me back now!” Flarestar cried.

“It takes a while for us to heal injuries,” said Sapstar, coming to stand beside Amberclaw. “But don’t worry. You’ll wake up soon enough.” 

“Okay,” said Flarestar with a shuddering breath. “I…I have faith in you, StarClan.” 

“We have faith in you as well, Flarestar,” said Amberclaw warmly. 

Flarestar forced herself to breathe in the cool, refreshing air in the clearing, trying to remain as calm as possible. 

“That’s it,” said Amberclaw. His voice began to fade. “Now go help your apprentice!” 

Flarestar jolted awake, letting out a loud gasp. She nearly knocked heads with Shadefire as she jumped to her paws. 

“Flarestar…are you okay!?” he cried. He and Cricketleap had been crouched over her. 

“Morningpaw’s trapped!” she cried. “We have to help her!” 

“Sunstorm went to go find her,” said Shadefire quietly. “But, Flarestar…I’m not sure if she’s okay.”

“She’s alive! StarClan told me so!” Flarestar gasped. “We have to hurry!” 

She took off running towards the cluster of tunnel entrances. Sunstorm and Dewpaw were frantically clawing at the huge mound of dirt that now blocked one of the holes, calling for Morningpaw. 

“Morningpaw!” Sunstorm yowled, panic rising in his voice. “My kit! Answer me!” 

“Morningpaw, please!” Dewpaw wailed for her sister. 

Skidding to a halt, Flarestar suddenly noticed a narrow gap in the earth near the collapsed tunnel. Perhaps it could lead to wherever Morningpaw was trapped? 

“Dewpaw, do you think you could fit through that?” Flarestar asked. “Go in through there and see if you can find your sister.” 

As Cricketleap came running over, Flarestar said to her, "You might be skinny enough to fit through there as well. Help Dewpaw find Morningpaw.”

Cricketleap went over to the small gap and stuck her head in. Sucking in her sides, she managed to wriggle her light, thin frame all the way into the tunnel. Dewpaw wasn’t as lean as Cricketleap, but was able to slip into the tight tunnel with Cricketleap pulling her. 

“Everyone, dig!” Flarestar commanded, her forepaws already flying through the pile of soil.

“Flarestar, you just lost a life,” said Shadefire. “You need to lie down and rest.”

“No!” Flarestar snapped. “Not until we find Morningpaw!” 

As the rest of the cats joined in the digging, Flarestar suddenly noticed a patch of ground further up the slope that seemed close to caving in. She ran over and dug at it, gasping when her paws broke through a thin layer of soil, revealing a large cavern underneath. 

“Cricketleap? Dewpaw? Can you hear me?” she called down into the cave. 

After a few long moments of silence, Flarestar could faintly hear Cricketleap’s voice. 

“Mother? Where are you?” 

“I’ve broken a hole in the ground!” Flarestar replied. “Follow the sound of my voice! Have you found Morningpaw yet?” 

A few heartbeats later, Flarestar head a gasp, followed by faint scratching and crumbling noises. 

“We found her!” Dewpaw cried. 

“She’s stuck under a rock!” Cricketleap cried. “But she’s still breathing! We’re going to try to pull her out!” 

“Have they found her?” Sunstorm gasped, appearing next to Flarestar.

“Yes, she’s hurt, but alive,” Flarestar replied. 

“Oh thank StarClan!” Sunstorm sighed heavily, sinking down on his haunches in sheer relief. 

“They might need help getting her out,” said Flarestar, widening the hole with her paws by knocking away more loose soil. “Go on in, we’ll help you climb out.” 

Sunstorm jumped down into the hole and disappeared down a dark passageway. The other cats came to join Flarestar, crouching around the hole for what seemed like forever until suddenly Sunstorm appeared in the cavern below, with Morningpaw slung across his back. Burningwind cautiously made his way down a steep pile of dirt that angled sharply into the hole, and grabbed Morningpaw by the scruff. Flarestar and Shadefire leaned in and tugged at Burningwind’s forelegs, helping him scrabble up to the surface as he dragged Morningpaw with him. Sunstorm hooked his forepaws with Shadefire’s, and was lifted up to the surface, followed by Cricketleap and Dewpaw.

“Morningpaw!” Sunstorm crouched over his daughter, licking her frantically. She lay there unconscious, her flank heaving. A thin trickle of blood ran down the side of her head. 

“She was buried under some thick soil,” said Dewpaw, gently licking her sister’s wound. “But it’s quiet down there, so we could hear her breathing, and dug her out.” 

“We better get her to Rosefall,” said Flarestar, coming over to Sunstorm to heave Morningpaw onto his back. 

 

Morningpaw blinked weakly. “Where am I?” she croaked as she opened her eyes. 

“Oh thank goodness!” Icefeather and Sunstorm were crouched over their kit in Rosefall’s den, covering her in relieved licks. 

“The tunnel collapsed on you, but Cricketleap and I got you out!” Dewpaw exclaimed. 

“Thank you,” said Morningpaw weakly. 

Flarestar lay in a nest nearby, her wounds covered in poultice and cobwebs. She let out a great sigh of relief—now that she knew Morningpaw would be okay, she lapped up the poppy seed that Rosefall had laid out for her. 

“Are you okay, Flarestar?” Morningpaw rasped. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said. “I wasn’t going to lose you in those tunnels.”

“Thank you,” Morningpaw mewed. “I’m sorry I ran in—I should have stayed out.”

“It’s not your fault,” said Flarestar drowsily as the effects of the poppy seed began to take hold. Before she fell asleep, a thought came to her. 

_If Morningpaw survived that cave-in, then Lichentail could have, too. She’s alive, I know it._


	21. Chapter 21

Flarestar watched her Clan from atop the Highledge, fluffing her fur up against the chilly air. Leaf bare was on its way; a light frost had settled over the floor of the ravine. Down below, Emberstorm and Cricketleap left the camp with their respective apprentices, Hazelpaw and Cloverpaw. They were now six moons old and had just begun their training. They talked eagerly to their mentors as they disappeared into the gorse tunnel. Over by the elder’s den, Silverlily was sharing tongues with Redwing. The former deputy had been retired since he’d lost his sight, and now that her kits were apprenticed, Silverlily had joined him. Redwing definitely enjoyed her company—he’d been very quiet and withdrawn since his last battle with RiverClan, and it hurt Flarestar to see the once confident deputy become a shell of his old self. However, lately his mood seemed to be improving, and he enjoyed telling Hazelpaw and Cloverpaw stories. 

Morningpaw and Dewpaw—now Morningcloud and Dewshine, came into the camp carrying fresh-kill. Sleetfall was over by the medicine den, talking to Rosefall. She was quite large and round now, as she was expecting Burningwind’s kits. He was still giving Lightstripe the cold shoulder; Flarestar hoped that becoming a father would soothe his aggressive personality somewhat. 

“Hey, Flarestar!” Shadefire called up to her from the base of the rock with Patchwhisker by his side. “We’re going for a walk, want to come?” 

“Sure.” Flarestar leapt down from the Highledge. Things were peaceful enough for her to spend some leisure time with her family. WindClan and ShadowClan finally seemed to respect Flarestar as a leader. Ever since the battle that past newleaf, there had been no conflicts with them other than a few tense encounters at the borders. 

“Hazelpaw and Cloverpaw are growing up so fast,” said Patchwhisker. 

“They’ve been such a blessing for Silverlily and Lightstripe,” said Shadefire. 

“Mother, do you think I could mentor one of Sleetfall’s kits?” Patchwhisker asked.

“Why—yes!” Flarestar was taken aback, realizing once more how her timid son who’d been afraid to become a warrior had become so confident.

“You’ll be a good mentor,” Shadefire told Patchwhisker. “Hmm, Flarestar, perhaps I could mentor another one of the kits—if Sleetfall has more than one?” 

Flarestar nodded, remembering that Shadefire’s old apprentice Jumppaw had never gotten to become a warrior. “Sounds like a plan, then.” 

After a while, they reached the clearing, where Cricketleap and Emberstorm were training their apprentices. Flarestar watched as Hazelpaw and Cloverpaw jumped around, dodging practice blows from each other. Hazelpaw dived towards his sister, who jumped up on her hind legs and slammed her paws down on top of his head, sending him sprawling to his stomach.

“Nice move, Cloverpaw!” Cricketleap praised her apprentice. 

“Hazelpaw, remember that move I showed you?” said Emberstorm. “Now would be a good time to put it to use.” 

Hazelpaw wiggled backwards from Cloverpaw, and then suddenly shot forward, knocking his sister in the chest with his head. She fell over in the grass, and he pinned her down.

“Aw, come on!” she groaned, kicking at her brother’s stomach with her hind feet. 

Suddenly, Flarestar bristled as a touch of ShadowClan scent blew by on a breeze. Looking beyond the clearing, she could just see a group of ShadowClan warriors near the Twolegpath. The others had scented them too, for they turned to look in the direction. 

“Do we have to fight them!?” Hazelpaw backed away, his fur rising nervously. 

“They haven’t crossed our border yet,” said Flarestar. “But they’re a bit closer than they should be. Let’s keep an eye on them.”

Suddenly, the ShadowClan cats scattered, disappearing in the shadows of the pine trees. 

“Ha, they saw us and got scared!” Cloverpaw laughed. 

She stopped laughing as a thunderous noise echoed from nearby. Suddenly, several large dogs burst from the undergrowth, barking loudly. One of them turned its head, spotted the ThunderClan cats, and went running towards them with an excited yap. The others followed. 

“Get up into the trees!” Flarestar yowled. Hazelpaw and Cloverpaw went scurrying up the trunk of an aspen tree, although they struggled, having not had much experience climbing. Cricketleap jumped up beside Cloverpaw and grabbed her by the scruff, helping her up the trunk. Flarestar and Shadefire stood guard by the base of the tree. Patchwhisker and Emberstorm took shelter under a thick, thorny bramble bush. Flarestar and Shadefire managed to scramble up the bark of the aspen just as the dogs reached the clearing. There were four dogs, and all were very large. Two of them placed their paws on the trunk of the aspen, barking wildly at the cats, while the other two circled the bush that Patchwhisker and Emberstorm were hiding in. Suddenly, Emberstorm’s black paw shot out, clawing one of them across the muzzle. The yellow-furred beast staggered backwards and yelped. The largest dog, a huge black and tan thing, jumped up and snapped its jaws just a mouse length from the tip of Flarestar’s tail. Flarestar reached down from the branch she was crouched on and raked her claws across its nose. It let out a whimper and reared back, but then placed its paws on the trunk again, snarling and furiously scrabbling with its gigantic paws.

Suddenly, a spotted dog reached up and grabbed the end of Cricketleap’s long tail. Flarestar gasped in horror as her daughter went plunging to the ground.

“Cricketleap! No!” Flarestar jumped down from the branch, landing on the dog’s back, and sank her teeth into its shoulder. The black and white dog twirled around, howling and trying to shake her off. Cricketleap tried to dart away as the black and tan dog moved in on her, but was suddenly grabbed and hauled into the air by the scruff of her neck. 

“Cricketleap!” Cloverpaw soared down from the tree, landing on the dog’s head. The surprised animal dropped Cricketleap and shook its head, trying to dislodge Cloverpaw, but she hung on tight. Hazelpaw dropped from the tree as well, landing on the dogs’ back. Cricketleap darted away, and ran over to the two dogs over by the bush. She jumped up and gave the yellow dog’s tail a vicious bite, causing it to shriek and take off running away. Emberstorm and Patchwhisker burst from the bush, hissing and slashing at the fourth dog, a scruffy brown thing. It jumped back, and then fled after the yellow dog. However, the other two were much fiercer and didn’t seem ready to flee anytime soon. They continued to snap their jaws at the cats, narrowly missing as they dodged their fangs. Flarestar and Shadefire found themselves cornered by the spotted dog against a boulder, keeping just out of their reach with blows at its muzzle. Suddenly, the black and tan dog grabbed Cloverpaw by her hind leg and flung her through the air. She collided with the trunk of the aspen tree and fell in a heap at the base. 

“Cloverpaw!” Hazelpaw screeched. He scrambled down the tree trunk as the dog dove on top of his sister. Flarestar shut her eyes tight. He wouldn’t get there in time…

Suddenly, she heard the dog cry out, and opened her eyes. A white cat was clinging to the dog, making it jump away from Cloverpaw. It jumped off and flipped through the air, landing on his paws. The dog turned and faced its attacker—it was Nojaw! The ShadowClan tom hissed and reared up on his hind legs, slashing the dog with his unusually long claws. The dog screeched, blood flying up in a red mist as it tried to back away from Nojaw. A second tom appeared, this one a sandy brown tabby, and bit the dog’s hind leg. The dog howled and leaped over Nojaw, running the way its companions had. The spotted dog had turned away from Flarestar and Shadefire to watch the chaos. Cricketleap, Emberstorm, and Patchwhisker were slowly creeping towards it, giving warning hisses as their fur spiked up to twice its usual size. The dog took a step back, and then fled the clearing and out of sight.

“Are you okay, Cloverpaw?” Hazelpaw was helping his sister to her paws. Her pale gray tabby fur was ruffled, and her leg was bleeding.

“I’m fine,” she said shakily. She stared wide-eyed at Nojaw, who was licking blood off his claws.

“Why did you help us?” Shadefire asked suspiciously, walking over to the two ShadowClan toms with his neck fur bristling.

“Nojaw doesn’t like dogs,” said the tabby, who Flarestar recognized as a warrior named Newtstripe. “They’re sort of the reason why he doesn’t have a jaw. We heard the commotion, and he went to help, so I followed.” 

“Th-thank you,” said Cloverpaw, staring wide-eyed at Nojaw. “The dog would have killed me had it not been for you.”

Nojaw looked at the young apprentice, his normally harsh yellow eyes looking soft for once. He nodded, and then turned to head back to the ShadowClan border. 

“Thank you two, very much,” said Flarepelt, nodding gratefully to Nojaw and Newtstripe. 

“We better get back before the others wonder where we are,” said Newtstripe, following Nojaw. “If Scorchstar finds out that we helped ThunderClan warriors, he’ll claw our fur off!”

They watched as the two ShadowClan cats disappeared into the distance.

“I guess Nojaw isn’t so bad after all,” said Cricketleap, coming over to check on Cloverpaw. 

“How can he eat when he has no jaw!?” Hazelpaw exclaimed. 

“I heard at a Gathering that he has to have all his food chewed up for him,” said Patchwhisker. “I feel kind of bad for him. At least he can defend himself with his claws.” 

“Poor thing,” said Cloverpaw softly. “I think he’s very brave." 

“Yeah, when he’s not attacking us,” Emberstorm snorted. 

“Come on, let’s go home,” said Flarestar.


	22. Chapter 22

“All is well in ThunderClan,” said Flarestar, surveying the crowd of cats at the Gathering. “We have two new warriors, Hazelsun and Cloverheart, and two new apprentices, Blazepaw and Rustpaw.”

Hazelsun and Cloverheart stood proudly in the middle of the ThunderClan crowd. Rustpaw, one of Burningwind and Sleetfall’s sons, came up next to them, puffing out his chest. His brother, Blazepaw, was shyly hiding behind his mentor, Patchwhisker, who gave him an encouraging nudge towards the others. He crept over to Rustpaw, looking around nervously and trembling slightly. 

“Hazelsun! Cloverheart! Blazepaw! Rustpaw!” The ThunderClan cats cheered loudly, but most of the cats in the other Clans were silent. Things were still tense with all three Clans. However, Newtstripe, the tabby from ShadowClan that had helped drive off the dogs, were among the few outsiders who cheered. Beside him, Nojaw gave an approving nod. 

“How interesting.” Splitstar walked to the end of the branch she was standing on and said, “We have two new apprentices as well, and _three_ new warriors.” 

After announcing their names, Splitstar turned to Flarestar, her blue and green eyes glinting as many cats cheered. Flarestar steadily met her gaze, not allowing herself to be intimidated by the RiverClan leader. Although both leaders had kept their word to be peaceful, it was clear that RiverClan was still bitter about the battle that had occurred moons ago. 

 

As Flarestar led her Clan home after the Gathering, she heard Patchwhisker sigh, “I wish the other Clans wouldn’t be so hostile towards us. It’s so petty.” 

“If I see any intruders on our territory, I’ll make them regret it!” Rustpaw lashed his tail and unsheathed his claws. 

“First you need to practice some battle moves,” said Shadefire, his mentor, sternly. “You can’t just rush blindly at an opponent—you have to have a plan.” 

“Why do they hate us?” said Blazepaw quietly.

“They’re just too prideful of themselves,” said Patchwhisker, running his tail comfortingly along his apprentice’s spine. “But conflicts with other Clans never last forever. Eventually, they will forget their anger.”

“Yeah, right,” Burningwind snorted as he walked by. 

“Hey, Father,” said Rustpaw. “Will you teach me that one technique you were showing Morningcloud the other day?” 

Burningwind kept on walking without replying. Rustpaw’s face fell. Sleetfall, who was walking behind her kits, narrowed her eyes in Burningwind’s direction. The short tempered warrior had hardly acknowledged his kits since they were born. Flarestar sighed under her breath. At least he was loyal to his Clan. 

 

“C’mon, Blazepaw, fight back!” 

It was the next day, and Flarestar was watching Rustpaw and Blazepaw train in the camp. Blazepaw yelped as the tip of Rustpaw’s claws caught his ear. 

“Hey, unsheathed claws only!” Shadefire called out.

“How can we learn to face real danger if we never use our claws?” said Rustpaw. 

“You could seriously hurt a Clan mate if you aren’t careful,” said Patchwhisker. He winced slightly, probably remembering the time Gorseflower had injured him when they were apprentices.

Blazepaw cried out as Rustpaw tackled him to the ground and lightly gripped his brother’s shoulder in his teeth. “Stop it, that hurts!” he wailed.

“Oh come on, I’m barely putting my fangs on you!” Rustpaw snapped. 

Burningwind was tearing into some fresh kill nearby. He narrowed his eyes at Blazepaw and said, “If you’re going to be such a coward, you might as well train to become a medicine cat.”

Suddenly, Sleetfall was there, snarling in his face. “How dare you call your own son a coward!?” 

“I’m stating the truth.” Burningwind returned Sleetfall's glare. “I never said he couldn’t improve, though. I’m just saying that he’s not going to get very far if he’s afraid of everything.” 

He stood up, picked up his fresh kill, and moved to another spot in the camp, Sleetfall glowering after him. 

“Don’t listen to Burningwind,” she told Blazepaw, who was still struggling under Rustpaw. “Your courage will come to you.” 

Blazepaw gave a frustrated grunt and kicked Rustpaw hard in the stomach. His brother let go in surprise and reared up. 

“Roll away, Blazepaw!” Patchwhisker instructed. Blazepaw rolled away just before Rustpaw came crashing back down on him. 

“I did it!” Blazepaw cried. 

“Think fast!” Rustpaw grabbed his brother’s tail in his claws, making him squeal. 

Suddenly, a panicked yowl rang out from the camp entrance. Lightstripe came running in, with Emberstorm, Cricketleap, Cloverheart, and Hazelsun following. All of their eyes were bulging with terror. 

“There’s huge animal in the woods!” Lightstripe cried.

The gorse brambles that lined the opening to the ravine suddenly began to shake. A dark shadow fell over the entrance as an unearthly snarl rang out. Shadefire and Patchwhisker jumped to their paws and stood protectively in front of their apprentices. Suddenly, the giant bramble bush that guarded the camp burst apart, and a massive brown creature emerged, letting out a roar that shook the air. It looked four times larger than the biggest dog Flarestar had ever seen, with thick yellow fangs and claws at least half a tail length long. 

“Everyone! Up the ravine, now!” Flarestar yowled, gesturing to the rocky slope that was occasionally used as an exit from the camp. The cats went racing towards it, scrabbling frantically up the stones. 

“I…I think that’s a bear!” Shadefire yowled to Flarestar over the conundrum of frightened screeches. “My mother used to tell me stories about them, but I didn’t think they were real!” 

The bear came lumbering towards the cats, shaking the ground with its enormous paws. It swiped a paw and suddenly caught Silverlily across her haunch with its claws. The gray she-cat cried out and collapsed in a heap.

“Mother!” Hazelsun came racing over and grabbed Silverlily’s scruff in his jaws, hauling her to her feet. Lightstripe helped his mate get away as Hazelsun and Cloverheart distracted the bear, hissing and lashing their tails. Suddenly, its paw was hurtling towards them, the claws about to pierce Hazelsun in the throat. 

“No!” Flarestar leaped through the air and clung to the bear’s paw, biting deeply through its thick, foul tasting brown fur. The creature roared and jerked its paw back, flinging Flarestar around. She hung on tightly while watching Hazelsun and Cloverheart escape up the side of the ravine. The bear shook her off, and she hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of her as the world spun before her eyes. The bear reared back its paw to strike her, but was suddenly turned as it was distracted by something. As Shadefire helped Flarestar to her paws, she saw Emberstorm and Cricketleap biting the monstrous animal’s hind leg. The two she-cats sprung out of the way of its snapping jaws just in time. Up above, Blazepaw slipped and went sliding downwards. Patchwhisker grabbed him by the scruff, hauling him upwards. Sunstorm and Gorseflower were helping the blind Redwing climb up the rocky wall. The bear lunged forward and began swiping at the climbing cats. Flarestar and Shadefire clawed at the bear’s hind legs, yowling at it to face them instead. The vicious animal towered over the two cats as the last of the Clan disappeared over the edge of the ridge. With another booming roar, it lunged for Flarestar and Shadefire. They took off running across the camp and zipped through the damaged gorse tunnel, the bear storming after them. A flurry of twigs and thorns flew up as it shoved its way out of the ravine, its fangs snapping just a mouse length from Flarestar’s tail. 

“Head for the great oak!” Flarestar yowled to Shadefire. They ran for the lake shore, the bear crashing through the undergrowth after them. The ground shook under the giant creature’s paws as they fled through the forest. After what seemed like forever, they finally reached the oak. Flarestar leaped into the air and clung to the bark, scrabbling up towards the highest branches. A cry came out from down below--Shadefire had tripped over one of the oak’s roots and collided into the trunk. The bear was right on top of him in a few swift steps; the black cat let out a frightened screech as it parted its massive jaws, about to close on him…

“NO!” Flarestar shot down the trunk in a flash and jumped onto the bear’s head, holding on with her claws. Shadefire dashed up the tree as the bear shook Flarestar from side to side. She hung on tight, and then leaped off of the bear’s head, landing squarely on the tree trunk and scrabbling up into the branches. She narrowly avoided a swipe from the bear’s claws as it stood up on its hind legs. Flarestar and Shadefire climbed to the highest branches of the oak, hiding within the thick leaves. They heard the bear angrily grunting and snarling, and felt the tree shaking slightly as it pawed at the trunk. After what seemed like forever, the bear thundered away, heading back towards the forest.

“Great StarClan,” Flarestar whispered. “How can we ever defeat a creature like that?”


	23. Chapter 23

After some time, Flarestar and Shadefire found the rest of ThunderClan over by the abandoned Twoleg nest at the edge of their territory.

“Mother! Father!” Cricketleap skidded to a halt in front of them.

“Is everyone alright!?” Flarestar exclaimed.

Cricketleap nodded. “Where did that…that _thing_ go?” 

“We don’t know, but we think it’s still on our territory,” said Shadefire.

“What _was_ it!?” Blazepaw cried.

“It seems to me like a bear,” said Shadefire. “My mother used to tell me stories about them, how the forest was full of them long ago, in the days of TigerClan and LionClan. Who knew some were still around?” 

“Well, how do we get rid of it?” Burningwind growled. 

“I have no idea,” Flarestar sighed. “Later, let’s have a patrol go and see if it’s still in the forest.” 

Near sunset, Flarestar led a patrol with Cricketleap, Emberstorm, and Patchwhisker back towards the camp. They crept quietly through the shadows, trying to make as little noise as possible. Every hair on Flarestar’s pelt was bristled as she half expected the bear to jump out at them at any second. When they reached the edge of the ravine, they peered down, and saw the bear curled up in the middle of the clearing, its flank heaving slowly in and out as it slept. 

“Looks like it’s made itself at home,” Emberstorm growled under her breath. 

They returned to the Twoleg nest, where they gave the report.

“What will we do!?” Sleetfall cried. “If that thing decides to stay, we have no way of driving it out!”

“Maybe, maybe not,” said Flarestar. “If we all attack it at once, maybe it’ll run away…but if half of us die trying, it won’t be worth it.”

“Do you think we could ask one of the other Clans for help?” Cricketleap suggested.

“No way,” Emberstorm snorted. “Scorchstar would rather jump in front of a Twoleg monster than help us, and Olivestar’s a coward. Also, RiverClan hates us, because Redwing kind of killed their leader, remember?”

“What are we going to do, then?” Cricketleap flattened her ears in panic.

Flarestar sighed heavily. “We’ll just have to stay here until we figure out a plan.”

 

Two sunrises later, the bear still had not left ThunderClan’s territory. Regular patrols were sent into the forest, staying just out of its sight. It seemed to spend most of its time asleep in the camp. 

“It looks like the bear has made our ravine its home,” said Shadefire grimly to Flarestar.

Flarestar’s heart sank, clawing at the ground as extreme frustration swept over her. 

“Do you think StarClan is punishing us for something?” Icefeather said nervously to Sunstorm.

“No,” Flarestar spoke up. “At least…I don’t think so.” She turned to Rosefall, who was nearby. “Have you heard anything from them?”

Rosefall shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Perhaps I should travel to the Moonpool tonight to ask them for advice.” 

Around dusk, Rosefall headed out. Meanwhile, Flarestar led a hunting patrol with Sunstorm, Icefeather, and Lightstripe. She kept her senses alert for any sign of ShadowClan cats. This was close to where ThunderClan and ShadowClan’s territories began to merge, and the leafy trees gave away to pines. The setting sun cast red shadows across the darkening forest, giving a tense, uneasy feel about the air. Out of the corner of her eye, Flarestar saw a mole scurry under a bush. She followed its scent, carefully placing her paws as she crept towards the bush. Suddenly, the smell was replaced by another one—the stench of ShadowClan cats. 

“There’s a patrol coming!” Flarestar hissed to the others. 

“But we’re not on their territory,” said Sunstorm.

“You know how they are,” said Flarestar. “We don’t usually hunt this close to their border—they could get angry. Let’s move somewhere else.” 

As soon as she said that, an angry yowl rang out from the near distance. Flarestar’s pelt bristled as she could see Flamewing from several fox lengths away. The ShadowClan deputy was lashing her tail, with several warriors standing behind her. One of her ears was torn, a reminder of the last battle she and Flarestar had. 

“Get out of our territory, you mangy ThunderClan rats!” Flamewing spat.

“We are not in your territory!” Flarestar called back. “Or have you forgotten where the border is?” 

“You’re too close for our liking!” Flamewing hissed. Behind her, the other ShadowClan cats growled and raised their fur. 

“A large creature has driven us out of our camp,” Flarestar exclaimed, slowly walking nearer to the ShadowClan patrol. “Until it leaves, we have been forced to make camp somewhere else.” 

“That’s not our problem,” Flamewing snarled. “You’ll take all the prey that could come over to our side. I’ll be reporting this to Scorchstar.” 

“Tell your father that we are not trespassing,” said Flarestar firmly. “You can have him come check the scent marks at your border for proof.” 

“Fine, I will.” Flamewing curled her lip. “But I can assure you he’ll agree with me. We’ll be keeping an eye on you. Don’t you dare come anywhere near the border, or we’ll shred you.” 

The ShadowClan cats jeered and hissed as Flarestar led her warriors away. 

“Those fox hearted, flea ridden pieces of fox dung!” snarled Sunstorm. 

“Watch your language,” said Flarestar steadily. “We’ve fought off ShadowClan plenty of times before-- we can do it again if necessary.” 

“But who’s to say they won’t join up with other Clans to drive us out of our new camp?” Icefeather said worriedly. 

“Let’s not imagine the worst,” said Flarestar. “For now, let’s avoid hunting in that area.”

“But there aren’t many other places we can hunt without getting in range of that bear,” said Lightstripe. 

Flarestar sighed. “I know. Let’s see what StarClan had to say to Rosefall when she returns.” 

 

When they returned to the camp, Flarestar was startled to find a very upset looking Rosefall walking towards them. 

“Did you talk to StarClan?” she asked her sister. 

“No!” Rosefall lashed her tail. “I ran into a WindClan patrol, and they wouldn’t let me go to the Moonpool! I explained to them it was an emergency, but they threatened to claw my fur off if I didn’t leave!” 

Flarestar’s fur spiked as she dug her claws into the ground in anger. 

“They can’t do that!” Sunstorm gasped. “You’re a medicine cat—they can’t deny you access to the Moonpool!”

“Well, they did,” Rosefall growled. 

“What are we to do!?” Icefeather cried. “How can we reclaim our camp if none of the Clans will help us?” 

“Is StarClan really punishing us?” Blazepaw whimpered from nearby. 

“No!” Flarestar snapped. She sighed, and then said more calmly, “I don’t see why they would be.” 

“They must still be angry about our battle with RiverClan,” said Redwing from nearby. “Oh, if only I hadn’t killed Coldstar.”

“Shut up, you old fleabag!” Burningwind snapped. 

“Burningwind!” Lightstripe yowled at his son in shock. “How dare you speak to Redwing like that?”

“Well he’s not deputy anymore,” Burningwind snorted. 

“Say anything else rude to him, and I’ll claw your ears,” snarled Silverlily, coming to stand in front of Redwing and unsheathing her claws. 

“Everyone, calm down!” Flarestar yowled. “Things are bad enough as it is—we can’t be fighting among each other.”

“Flarestar’s right,” said Shadefire, coming to stand beside his mate. “StarClan will help us, in some way.” 

Murmurs of doubt rippled throughout the crowd. Flarestar’s heart sank as she saw all her warriors looking tired and bewildered. She gazed up towards the sky, where the stars were starting to appear. 

_Please, will you talk to us?_ She silently asked her ancestors. 

 

Flarestar hardly slept that night. She sat by the entrance to the abandoned Twoleg nest, gazing at the sky while her warriors slept in the tall weeds that had grown in the space underneath the crumpled building. As the pinkish light of dawn began to show in the dark sky, Shadefire came over to join her. The black tom yawned, having kept guard at the edge of the clearing for most of the night. 

“Are you alright?” he asked Flarestar, gently brushing his mate’s cheek with his muzzle. 

“I just…don’t know what to do,” Flarestar whispered to him. “I’m the leader, I’m supposed to know what to do…but ThunderClan has never faced anything like this.” 

Suddenly, Hazelsun and Cloverheart appeared from under the Twoleg den.

“What’s the matter?” Flarestar asked them. The two young warriors shared a bewildered, nervous look. 

“Um…I'm not sure how to explain this, but...Cloverheart and I both just had the same dream,” said Hazelsun. His amber eyes were glowing brightly with disbelief. “There were cats that came to us, that said they were from StarClan.”

“Yeah, there was this ginger tom, who said he was the ancient ThunderClan leader Firestar,” said Cloverheart. “I believe it—his pelt looked like it was made of flames! And Sapstar was there too.” 

Flarestar’s jaw dropped. StarClan rarely visited the dreams of ordinary warriors. Why hadn’t they visited Rosefall or herself? 

“What…what did they say?” she sputtered. 

“Firestar said that StarClan wants me and Cloverheart to journey into the mountains beyond the lake,” said Hazelsun. “There are cats living there that can help us.” 

“Sapstar said they call themselves DawnClan,” said Cloverheart. “He also said their leader will be willing to help, if we find her.” 

“Dawn…Clan?” Flarestar couldn’t process the words she was hearing. How could there be a fifth Clan, far away from all the others? 

“What’s going on?” Lightstripe emerged from under the den. He studied his kits closely. “Hazelsun, Cloverheart, what’s this about a journey?” 

Silverlily came out to join him as the two young cats explained the dream once again. 

“No! You can’t travel to the mountains!” Silverlily flattened her ears. “It’s too far, and too dangerous!”

“If StarClan has chosen them, then they believe in them to make it there,” said Shadefire. 

“I’ll go with you,” said Lightstripe. 

Hazelsun shook his head. “No, Father,” he said. “StarClan said Cloverheart and I have to make this journey alone.” 

“But…why should it be just you two?” Lightstripe stuttered in confusion. 

“We don’t know,” said Cloverheart. “That’s just what they said.” 

“Firestar also said that during his time, the Clans traveled through the mountains to settle here by the lake, when their old home was destroyed by Twolegs,” Hazelsun added. “If cats have made this journey before…I…I think Cloverheart and I can do it.” 

“But what if something happens to you?” Silverlily whimpered. “I can’t lose my other kits.” 

“We’ll be careful, Mother,” said Cloverheart, coming up to brush her muzzle comfortingly against Silverlily’s. “We promise.” 

“We have to let them go,” said Flarestar, trying to keep her voice steady as her head spun with bewilderment. “Maybe, if there are more of us, we can drive the bear out of our camp. These DawnClan cats may be our only hope.” 

 

All of ThunderClan gathered to watch Hazelsun and Cloverheart go. Rosefall had given them each a dose of traveling herbs to prepare for the long journey. 

“Please, make it home safe,” said Silverlily as she covered both her kits’ heads in licks. 

“We will, Mother,” said Cloverheart firmly. “And we’ll bring back help.” 

Lightstripe rubbed up against his son and daughter. “I know you two can do this,” he purred.

“Good luck, you two,” said Flarestar. “May StarClan be with you.” 

As she watched the two young cats make their way to the lake shore and into the foothills bordering WindClan’s territory, the ThunderClan leader found herself deep in thought. 

_So it sounds like DawnClan is led by a she-cat…and that she’ll come when she hears ThunderClan is in trouble?_

Flarestar’s mind suddenly flashed to the strange vision she’d had at her nine lives ceremony, when she saw a pale gray cat in the lead of the mysterious rogues. 

_Could the leader of DawnClan be…no, it couldn’t be…_

But suddenly, everything was falling into place. Flarestar’s breath caught in her throat as it hit her. 

_Maybe StarClan sent Hazelsun and Cloverheart….to find their long lost half-sister?_

She gazed towards up towards the sky, where she could swear she saw a faint star twinkling. 

_If Lichentail is really alive…then StarClan, please, guide her home._


End file.
